The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-09-15
By Their Works Ye Shall Know Them.

~~5
whatever emanates from Democratic
sources, they will, no doubt, be glad
to have a truthful outline of what
the two parties have done for Garrett
county since It's organization and in
order to make comparisons that will
faithfully represent the difference be-
tween Democratic and Republican
practices, it will be necessary to 90
back a little beyond the date of the
county's organization ; as by so doing
we get parallel cases, affording a very
striking Illustration of the tendencies
of the parties.
In 1866. the year after the war
ended, the Republicans having the
ascendency in Maryland, a law was
passed providing for re-assessment
of the property of the State. This
was especially necessary, as the
Slaves had all been made free and
were no longer taxable, and the ex-
penses of the State and county goy-
ernments had to be provided for on
new basis.
Allegany county was divided into
two assessment districts; the terri
tory of what is now Garrett county
comprising one district, for which.a
board of assessors was appointed,
who, after assessing the property, sat
as a board of control and review.
The levy list for the following year
shows that, in the aggregate, they
received for their services, about
thirteen hundred dollars. That was
directly after the close .of the war,
during initiation times, when prices
were the highest.
Ten years later, the Democrats
having resumed control in Mary
land, another assessment was order
ed. Garrett county had then been
organized, and with its low taxable
basis and heavy school, road and
court expenses, there was every in
centive for the most careful and pains
taking economy, but how did our
friends, the enemy, go about the
work Of serving the taxpayers. In
order to make the offices go round,
or as nearly round as possible. two
boards of assessors were appointed,
apJ tbot bojpu Joop,oJ ot;lI ;pc, ei
cient, another body was appointed
called the board of control and re-
view; and for FIVE or six mortal
months they hung on. to. the tune of
about forty-five dollars day, until
they had gobbled up the snug little
sum Of about five thousand dollars
of the taxpayers money, or almost
four times as much as the same SER
vices cost when done by Republicans,
And when at last those deciples OF
Democratic reform had finished their
arduous labor. consisting mostly Of
drawing their salaries and having q
good time, it was discovered that
1900 military lots, besides a great
deal of other land in tracts, and other
property had escaped their attention
and went unas6essed. This is but a
single item, but may be taken as a
fair example of the sort of regard
manifested by our local Democracy
for the comon people.
The first two sessions after its Or
ganization, Garrett county was rep.
resented by Democratic delegations
at Annapolis, and this outrageous
assessment is the only fruit they bore
But in 1877, admonished by bitter
experience, the people rose up in
their might. and elected solid Re.
publican delegation, to represent the
county in the ensuing legislature
They found the county without
local laws, and burdened with debt
and the people groaning with exces
sive taxes. The Republican mem
bers had no axes to grind, no jobs tC
put through for any body, no ap'
pointments to fill, and no places tC
secure for themselves or their broth,
ers, so they went to work in theil
plain, unassuming way, and got up {
code of local laws for the county
They did what could be done to re
duce the burdens of the taxpayers
by reducing the fees and salaries o
all the county officials that coult
properly be reached by legislativ,
enactment.
l may remark here in passing, tina
no Republican member from Carrot
county ever introduced measure
that was tainted with the suspicion
of personal favOritism, or that wa
intended to benefit any individual o
set of individuals, at the expense Q
the people.
At the session of 1878 they ais
passed the bill authorizing the az
pointment of commissioners to setti
the veXed question of Boundary be
tween Garrett county and Presto