The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1892-02-05
The Egis & Intelligencer
Bel Air, Md, February 5. 1892.
Shall We Have Three or Five Commission
ers?


MIR, EDITOR: viii you grant me little space
in your valuable paper to make few remarks on
the subject which appears to have interested ouf
County Convention, Farmers Clubs and others,
more of late than any other subject. When we
look down the line mentioned it reminds one some
what of line of swallows in the fall oil the year
on a telegraph linz, with their heads nearly ail
one way, especially if the wind blows little. SO
l look down this long line and see Dut one pro
with his head contrary to the others Yes, ana
our worthy Editor has his head twisted around
In view of these things it appears almost like pre-
sumption on my part to say word
In answering the above question shall ask some
objections made to- our present Commits
sioners' law. | shall be compelled IN SeVe-
raj instances to apparently dlsress from my
hear the cry repeatedly, we want better men
and better talent in the Commissioners office.
Pretty hard pill for an old Commissioner to swal-
low but am, as the boy said by the chicken over
fed, he screwed his neck SO screw my neck and
gulp it down.
l think / can answer the question. Our law
worked admirably for a number OF years until
few years back we threw mp barrier before our
better men as some of you have it,, 1t is our way
of nominating our better men. Many OF them
will not be subjected to the ordeal through
ton. For what is In the office? They have
to go through the smlrchng machine of a
primary campaign. which is degrading and think
in many instances humiliating. But some talk of
legalizing our primaries. This might save some of
us from being shot by drunken rabole at the prl-
mary polls. but it would not improve the system.
A little more on the subject OF better men and
talent. What should constitute a proper subject
for the Commissioners office. He need not be
classical scholar knowing all the languages He
need not be doctor of the law or versed in all the
arts and sciences. but man OF good Judgment,
knowing how and attending TO his own business
one who will keep sober in business hours. In the
hands of such man l think the business of the
county would be managed as we'll as in the hands
of a man of a stiff neck and a high look, and per-
hapS more economically.
Back to our subject. In the three commissioner
"A fI,ntD
big apple when it is near the top of the pile (And
no diSreSpect to her il the other fellows let her
district Commissioner will be nearly perpetual and
other four districts will have it divided around,
running from six TO ten years, with no Commits
siOner from some districts. Furthermore, 1t is
hardly likely man from our Second district will
know the needs of the Fourth and Fifth districts
as well as man from that district or that man
from the Fourth or Fifth districts will know our
needs as well as man from our own district.
Now from financial point of view It is proposed
5000 and mileage, making about $4,000. The av
erage cost of our Commissioners board (old plan
to the county for the last six years has been
81 sc per annum and mileage. You see this is
an item.
It is claimed we will have Commissioners for the
whole county. These advocates must certainly
overlook the law. Each Commissioner now is a
commissioner OF the county: We may sometimes
have man in the board who cannot see beyond
the borders of his own district but it seldom oc-
ours.
Term.-Six years Is advocated as the term of the
three commissioner plan. Do we not we
linquish one of the greatest safeguards thrown
around the Commissioners office? If we have Il
good man on short term we can re-elect him. but
if we have an inferior Commissioner on a long
term we must abide his term of Office.
Experience is also urged in a long term. Now,
we would hardly elect set OF ignoramuSeS to I'LL
the Commissioners board 1t is an Office that
most business men have considerable idea about,
and If we elect an entire new board they have the
records of the office. They have counsel. They
have the Information of the outgoing board of any
pressing needs of the county; and more than this,
anffr hn.ar Ranf IN fan
years.
Ii we had a greater number of districts, as Balt-
more county, we might then talk of three Commits
sionerS but as we have small number OF districts
l think it will work better with commissioner
from each district. with fair compensation and
the term not too long. Il. j. WALKER.
Garland Jan 26 1892.