The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-02-11

The following paragraphs from the
Hagerstown Nail, a Democratic pa
per, are so fair and appropriate that
we take pleasure in laying them be-
fore our readers:
In the very beginning of the ses-
sion, several efforts were made to put
upon the House of Delegates super
fluous number of employees. This
has been persevered in until finally
the whole subject was referred to a
committee of which Mr.. Laird, of
Montgomery, is chairman, and Mr..
Smith, of this county, member.
The committee gave full consider
alton to the matter and made most
satisfactory report.
This report shows that already, al.
though the session is only four weeks
old-and we can add with very little
dOne-a large portion of time made
up of adjournlnents-the number of
officers provided for by the rules of
the House and by the Act of Assem-.
bly,, has been exceeded, and that the
charges made for the session are
largely in excess of that contemplate
ed by the law and that it is already
apparent that very considerable adj
ditional appropriation will be needed
to meet the Increased expenses, This
is certainly very discOuraging be-
| ginning, for a session which convened
under the most solemn promises of
economy and retrenchment,
Y
The Committee on Elections have
made bad beginning toward the
| adoption of any measure to secure
fair registration and fair elections.
AT one of the meetings, in consid-
ering the bill drawn by Attorney
General Whyte, it struck out the
provision which gave to the County
| Commissioners of each county the
appointment of the Registers and
Judges of Election-they both con-
stitutng one set of officers-and in
lieu of it constituting commission
of three for each county, to be APP
pointed by the Governor, who are in.
vested with the power to appoint
all the registration and election
officers.
hlo oJolC" WOulo pldCC III llIC
hands of the Governor the whole
election machinery of the State "a
concentration of power unknown to
any form of Democratic State gov
eminent. The possession of such a
power is in every way dangerous !;
true, Governor Jackson may exercise
it with prudence and with fairness,
but who may follow? The question
| is not that this or that individual
may fairly exercise this great power,
but whether any one, on general
principles, should, under any circum.
| stances, hold such power.
Besides all this, the Governor, in
exercising this great power, cannot
be expected to know we'll enough the
people in the counties to make fit
selections. and therefore must depend
upon local political characters who
will more or less intrigue to get men
acceptable to themselves appointed to
these positions whilst, on the ether
hand. the County Commissioners
know generally the people of the
county and can, in the discharge Of
their directed duties under the pre-
pared bill, give more personal knoWl-
edge to the appointments, and hence
less likely to be the appointment Of
mere local politicians.
1t is something that in our judy
ment the counties will not stand, and
ought not to stand, and that sooner
than yield on so momentous prin-
ciple as this. they should not hesitate
toreject any proposition containing it.