Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1894-02-08

Senator wiikinson's Views q ths 1eaas.
Tuesday. January SOsh, uliimo, senator
Wilkinson made an appeal for the passage
Of his read bill. Senator. Hayes asked that
the bill be recommitted Hntil he had an
opportunity OF examining IL and comforting
with lis author. To this Mr.. Wilkinson
finally agreed and the bond bin went back
to committee along with the proposed road
law. But before reaching this agreement
Mr.. Wilkinson pleaded with the Senate for
fair treatment. The Sus reports him as
stating that there seemed 70 be DISPOSE
ton among democrats in ST. Mary's 10 pre-
vent him from passing any legislation,
good or bad, and he begged the Senate not
TO permit the unfortunate fact that he Is
republican TO initiate against the enact
ment Of good laws for his country. He
had been accused by the newspapers in
1890 of having appealed to Gen. Washing
ton aud Charles Carroll 10 come out of the
pictures and help him. This time he would
appeal to the sense Of justice and fair deal
ing of the Senators. A majority of the
people of his county had trusted him and
he wished to serve his people. He rsad
the present road law and called attention
to the defects of the system. He said II
the Senators would examine the bill they
would find that it was fair, and that he
had taken every precaution to provide q
good road law for his county. He invoked
senatorial courtesy as to local legislation,
and hoped the Senators would not be pre-
JUDGED against his bill because he unfor-
tunately happened to be republican. If
they found m crit in his bin they should
vote for its passage, but If not, then they
should defeat it. If 1t could be improved
by amendments he promised that his col.
leagues In the House would attend to that
and permit amendments to be made Now,
10 is in the power Of the county commissicn-
ers to make any road law they please, 50
far as its execution is concerned. Although
the law so provides they cannot limit the
expense to 5000 a year, and every year
there is deficiency Of $4,000 to 5000,
which has to be carried over, as they are
running the county on q credit system.
Some o. the districts Gas for instance his)
get less than $500 appropriated to them,
and yet last year there was $1,000 more
tLan was appropriated expended in his
neighborhood. The county commissioners
last year appointed nine supervisors for
roads within three miles of his store, and
each of them had team and plows, &c,
for which they were allowed In their bills.
This thing was not only done under demo-
cratic administration, but had been done
for years and also under republican admin
istration. There was an army OF supervi.
sors, and he wanted, il possible, to cut it
down TO one for each district and provide
for permanent road building. He also
vented to provide for payment of bills in
cash and not in scrip. and thus give the
county the benefit of the saving there
would be in making CONTRACTS for work on
q cash basis. The only objection that he
had heard 10 the bill was that they had
good system now, and IL would be re.
lection upon the commissioners wto had
just gone into Office TO pass the bill His
answer to them was that he submitted TO
the judgment of the Senate II the system.
as he had explained IL was q good one,
and that the commissioners were not new
ones, but the old board, whose term had
been extended by legislation, and II their
management was bad he thought il ought
TO be reflected upon. de also secuted the
proposition 10 have the Governor appoint
the supervisors. He knew the Governor
had his hands full and did not care to take.
charge of the roads in st. Mary's county.
There was nc politics in this bill. Is there
was In the school commissioners bill Of the
last session, which he did not blame the
Senators for passing, Notwithstanding his
opposition, as he would have done likewise
II the tables had beeh turned. He had
provided in this bill for i've democratic
and four republican supervisors, 10 bold
Office until election, and had arranged TO
nave IL 8meuucu III Tue nOa1c - t08t tueTG
would be six democrats and only three re
publicans, and all be asked that his col
leagues should treat him in this matter of
local legislation as he would treat them as
20 their local legislation.
Senator Hayes said that he was stannch
believer In the doc'r;nes advocated by the
Senator from St. Mary's as % the right
of Senators 10 control local legislation Cor
their own counties and il had always been
his pleasure 70 support him In matters Of
local legislation, although he belonged to a
different political party His only purpose
when he differed with him, as IN this in
stance, was to suggest revision and modifi-
cation from the standpoint Of the general
welfare Of the State He believed the
Senator TO be honest and fan and he only
wished to advise with bin and did not
wish TO defeat his bill nthey could con
fer together, perhaps he could suggest he
elimination Of the Obnoxious features Of the
bill. Also, il had been suggested that there
would be some road legislation Cor the
whole State and Il might be wise 10 defer
action upon any local road law % zee II
a. 4. 4