The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1881-07-23
A pIsaRAoEFuL STORY.

An "Ex. Member" Of the Legislature from BAL
,i,DOro county writes to the Baltimore TribHne-a
Democrat q papcr-as folIoWs:
~ have read with much Interest AZ well as eur.
prise the published statement Of the expenditures
Of the last General Assembly. II tells Disgrace
full story. Disgraeefui to the whole State aud
especially TO the parties VIII" controlled the dsti
button Of tho legislative patronage and thus squan
dercd the peoples money. There Is much in that
statement that Is foul blot ON all concerned.
"Casuai and inexperienced readers are not pre-
pared 10 SEQ the fraud In all Its enornity. They
do not know the extent Of tho swindle without an
analysis Of the items and an explanation Of what
they should be and what they have been when
honest men managed the affairs Of tho party.
at was my privilege once 90 be n member Of the
Maryland Legislature. and, by your consent, pro.
pose to give In n few letters 4 comparison Of the
past with the present, that your readers may
know about how much was stolen from the trcasu-
~ without a shadow Of authority during the last
session, and paid by Mr.. Keating the Comptroller,
whom the managers have endorsed by n 70. nomi-
nation and now ask Us 90 support.
81 shall speak fret Of the Committee on En-
crossed Biils. That committee is properly CON-
posed Of i've In the Senate and seven in the House.
There u no need Of any more than two or three In
each House, for the duties arc very insgnihcan mt
indeed. This IL the usual number of the standing
committees, and hence that number was usually
appointed. Their duty Is 10 examine the copies
Of the bills passed aud see that they are copied
correctly. That j. all. Each copy L. read over
aud compared with the original 20 sec that Il Is
copied correctiy-the words spelled correctly aud
properly punctnated. You see there L. very little
20 do and that not difficult.
"But In tho last Legislature there were twenty
six members put on this committee, and they were
paid one hundred and dry dollars each extra pay.
aud Ia addition 90 this large number Of member
they had twenty-five CLERKS and one messenger.
paid from hfty 60 one hundred and fifty dollars
each, making the expenses Of this committee, sx-
ira aud above the lawful pay per diem Of the mem-
bers. yire thousand three hasdred dollars. wcused
10 do all the work Of this committee without extra
pay, and think VIC did 10 wcll-why, then, this
waste Of the public treasure. Where the need Of
ofhl Where the Law for u. The constitution
provides expressly that the pay Of no public officer
shall be inereased or diaaiaishsi during the term
Tor which he was elected. II also provides that
the pay Of members shall be 81 per day and mile.
age. But these gentlemen paid over SG.jO
per day for the entire session. Where Is your Law
for this, Nc. Comptroller! You have remained
silent on this aud other kindred charges made
against you. IL the facts are as stated yon are
guilty OF gross misconduct and should be held &c.
sponsibic by the people. II will not do to pass
these grave charges by with - silent contempt
The people are not satisfied with your conduct aud
will not take silence for an answer. II you are
innocent you should cScuipate yourself If You
don't do IL We shall conclude that you are guilty.
Don't presume upon the fcalty of the people To the
party. Devotion To party never did. never can
and never should require men 90 conlone offences
committed by officials in gross violation Of law
II you don't explain aud justify your cause the
people will believe you guilty. The fact. now
shown are against you. and the people won't vote
for n man who they think may do these things
again " they eau End better man To- support
The character. honor, fidelity aud fitness Of the
man who u Ia be the Comptroller Of the State
Treasury Is more important To the people than his
politics.
"The duties Of the ohicc have nothing to do with
political questions. The people intend To have
these abuses stopped. They are terribly in earnest
now and mean business. They will vote for any
good man rather than n had one"