The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1890-05-17

laws are not enforced, anu nave III inolo
terrors for the pot hunters than did the
long winded proclamatiops of the Dutch
Governor of New York for the shrewd
Yankees who possessed themselves of
the finest portions of his domains.
The evil is difficult one to correct.
Many of our legislators are not qualified
to understan or appreciate general leg
islation. There is no glory in it for the
individual, and many of his constituents
take no more interest in it than their
representative. A member who does not
secure local laws is thought by many to
be uumindful of the interests OF his Con-
stituents. The remedy of most persons
for every cal i'll is to pass law. Take
the record of a popular aud industrious
repre- sentative OF the people. 1t will read
something like this:
1. An act to regulate the killing of rab-
bits aud squirrels in Blank county.
2. An act to prohibit the destruction
of trout in Salt creek.
3. An act to refund fourteen dollars
and thirty seven cents to John Smith for
taxes eroneously paid into the State treas
ury.
4. An act to prevent swine from run
ming at large in the third election district
of Blank county.
5. An act to enable the voters of the
fourth election district of Blank county
to determine by ballot whether there
shall be fence law in said district.
The member who secures the passage
of long list of such laws demonstrates
his importance and industry to his own
satisfaction, and retires to a proud and
happy constituency They say there is
some use in sending such man to An
napolis, who looks after his constituency
and has enough influence to get any law
through he wants. Such member is
meat and drink to the expert lobbyist.
II the member desires his local bills to
slip through easily he has only to be COM
placent with the schemes of the lobby, and
the thing is doue. In more than one in-
stance at the late session local laws, the
passage of which a member considered
would be taken by his people at home as
the measure of his influence at Annapolis,
were made the basis of deals by which
the lobby secured votes for their favorite
measures.
One remedy for this State of affairs,
which certainly prevents the proper con-
sideration of matters of general import
ance, is a more careful selection of COM
petent men of high integrity, sufficiently
we'll informed to appreciate apd under
stand the matters coming before the Leg
islature which concern the general inter-
ests of the State.
In many of the counties the chief in
terest centres in the candidates for the
like, and little attention is given
to the selection Of members of the Legis-
lature. They are used to "even up" the
distribution of the ticket through the
county, or if attention is given to these
nominations, men are selected solely With
reference to how they will vote for United
States Senator if one is to be selected,
and without any consideration of their
fitness fisfp-l,SS. duties &c .,i,,s,tron. me
,sence of honest, intelligent and indie OIL
ndent men in the Legislature will ac- y,
npllsh much, but that alone is not sui di
lent. The good man theory does g
always work out good results in pol al
cs, especially in the Legislature, where r;
ere have been SO many instances of re
cd men who have ''gone wrong" m
We need, more than anything else in IG
.ryland, change from the machine r,
,thods which have prevailed in our W
ate for some years. The men who have til
,umed to lead the Democratic party, I'll
example, have been chiefly occupied y.
contriving to keep themselves in pub d,
Office and in parceling out the spoils W
their retainers. They have succeeded al
}. for some OF them have managed to "
~ bnCmbSIsCo III olltCt iIOHt tilt UllH6 | I
Iereof the memory of this geper alton, Ill
least, knoweth not the contrary. As h'
esult, we have no policies to submit to Va :"
, people, and Legislatures assemble I'll
sion after session without any infor- pi
Ition gathered from the discussions of :"
, campaign as to what the public in. =,
NJ 1l,
esGs require. Naturally, @hep men in
We everything their own way they
ally come to regard the offices as their OF
rsonal property, and are hostile to -
cry measure which seems TO interfere ht
tn their continuance in Office. The pe
Unknown hostility of certain of these &C
ce-holders to ballot reform is the re- T,
It of supine submission by the people Sc
the State to the machine and its meth n
J. A change is needed. By this it is ~
meant that the Republican party u
,uld succeed the Democratic party in NJ
, control of the State, for the only vi ba
ity the Republican party of this State I'D
plays is in squabbies over the offices. y" %
tn in the nation and State 1t is en- h,
atically under the domination Of the an
chine methods. But the remedy is CD
ID the masses of the Democratic party UT
an
this State TO overthrow the machine ST
| bring new men to the front who are
with the beRt elements of
national democracy, who believe in
if reform and civil service reform. One We
,he first steps to secure this is: First m,
the people to insist upon their right a s
seiecI 'ueif own cahuiaaGes LOT the te.
yislature, and DOT allow them to be n,
'ted upon them by men who may wish
use them for personal ends after they NJ,
elected. Second, to be careful to Sc yo
and vote for candidates who can be w
ed upon under all circumstances; not | m.
'ote merely to please the bosses and yo
Ill the ''grandmothers' fund. dr.
10 amount of respectabiity is suffi- ou
1t to quality any man for a public If
&c at this juncture who is In favor of wi
continuance of the political methods tell
influences of the men who are re- Sh'
nsible for the present condition of the :
ty in Maryland. New men and new Gel
hods are both needed in the manage thi
1t of the Democratic party in Mary - IL
l. s aGI
you
fleets of an $4,000 Liquor License. for