The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-03-17
Annapolis Letter.

ANNAPOLIS, Md, March 10, 1888.
EDITOR REPUBLICAN II gave
you last week synopsis of the re-
form league election law. Since then
the mill has been kept grinding, and
during the week two additional bills
have been formulated, one of which
has been printed, and the other has
been under discussion in the Senate.
The one / have examined is a much
worse bill than any of its predeces-
sors, as it authorizes the Governor to
appoint three Registration officers for
each election district. This would
make the election expenses nearly
three times as much as they are I'M
der the old law, but has the advan-
tage of being precisely in line with
the central idea in all Democratic
legislation. With the average DEM
ocrat, as the party is now composed,
Legislation is simply a means to an
end, and the end is spelled with six
letters-boodle. And this of course
means heavy burden on the tax
payers, with hard work and scant
comforts for the masses,
The bill authorizing the appoint
ment of the School Commissioners
for Garrett county by the Governor,
is fair example of the direction of
the political current at Annapolis.
The same law which governs the
school system of the other counties
does not apply to Garrett county
hereafter, although the constitution
and the law says the system shall be
uniform. Hereafter we are not to
have the same rights and privileges
which the other counties enjoy. have
foreseen that the necessity would
arise to give the Governor the APP
pointing power, in order to save to
the Democracy the little pitiful bit
of patronage there is in it, but it had
never occurred to me that Garrett
county was to be singled out and this
humiliating stigma placed on her
alone.
1t is indeed a sad commentary on
our county, where the people should
be as free as the winds that sweep
oyer their mountain homes. that she
must be singled out from among the
other counties, and the vital question
of the education of the children turn
ed oyer to the tender care of the po-
litical crows and buzzards which in
fest her borders. 1t is a burning,
blistering. whitening shame that the
rights OF people, no longer free,
should be so trampIed on; and the
meagre educational facilities they
have made bone of contention by a
set of place-hunters, too proud or too
lazy to earn an honest living by
honest work.
Our masters here excuse them
selves by saying that the judges
would not appoint, but everybody
knows that that is not the trouble,
and further everybody knows just
what it is, and all the why's and
wherefores.
Allegany and Washington counties
get along without trouble. and the
same Judges appoint their School Com
naiSSiOnerS. The trouble is, the judges
refuse to appoint new board at the
dictation of the Oakland ring.
Browning, it is said, wants DR..
Bartlett's place for his brother, and
the school system must be changed
to accommodate him. However this
may be. it is an outrageous proceed
ing. The county is reduced to a
pitiable plight. 1t was bad enough
in all conscience before, but what
may be expected after such a pro.
ceeding as this, when to accommo-
date a certain clique or faction of
hungry spoils hunters, Garrett county
must be collared and dragged out
from under the provisions of the
general law.
Who among her citizens does not
realize the shame and the humiia-
ton of it; and who so tame and spir-
itless as not to resent it?
The school commissioners ought to
be elected. The people to whom they
should be responsible should make
the appointment. But if not by the
voters themselves, they should be
appointed by the board of officers ,
standing nearest the people, which