The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-04-18
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
Maryland Politics at the National
Capitol y Republican Bossism-
Postofice Consolidation.

w ASHlN6fON. u. u. @AplIi ~, lCop.
There are in Washington number of Mary
landers who take an active interest in the
affairs of the State, and who keep themselves
quite well posted in regard thereto. In ad-
dition TO 6hese, there are quite a number of
people of other States in whom the peculiar
condition of affairs which existed in our good
old State during the last campaign has ex-
cited lively interest that has prompted
careful observation of recent events at Annap
oils and elsewhere. Many of these intelligent
people, fully realizing that the Baltimore city
press no longer reflects the opinions and the
Judgment of the Democratic masses Of the
State, are accustomed to seek from the
columns Of the county press fair expression
of the same, and thus it is that the toleraby
complete files of the latter which are kept by
your correspondent are frequently ayailed OF
for that purpose.
The following brief paragraph from The
ADVOCATE, has received warm approval as
striking the nail squarely on the head and
putting in a nutshell the true situation in State
affairs as seen at this distance:
II would be a good scheme to formally turn over
Maryland to Wellington and Cowen, and save cost
of Legislature, Governor. and Board of Public
Works; Wellington runs the Governor and Board
elections TO office, and Cowen, through the Cover
nor dictates assessment laws, and sees to 1t cor
pOrdtlOnS are not hurt. Wellington ana COWeu are
the worst bosses the people of this State were ever
under, and Lowndes is mere pigmy, without the
least independence or moral courage.
Well-informed people generally, and es-
pecially Marylanders, are fully aware of the
struggle which has been carried on between
the masses of the taxpayers of the State, as
represented by few honest and fearless pub
lie meu, and the arrogant Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad corporation. which, planting itself
upon its irrepealable charter, has, while
boldly and dehantly proclaiming and main
tanning its immunity from taxation, malevo-
lenty endeavored to crush all public men
who were rash enough to question its said
immunity. These same observing people
saw the combination that was effected last
fall between this autocratic corporation in
alliance with certain capitalistic classes in
Baltimore city and the Republican party of
Maryland, whereby the Democratic party was
beaten down and the chief banker of the
aforesaid corporation placed in the guberna
torial chair. But when the legislature, in the
assessment law that was first passed, made
provision for the assessment of the tunnel
privileges of railroad corporations, with an
apparent purpose of subiecting this non-taxa-
BILE corporation to some small share of the
public burdens, everybody admired the APP
parent disregard on the part Of the lawmakers
of the bargain for continued immunity which
entered INTO the unholy alliance for last fall s
campaign. But 10 when in the closing days
of the session the president and chief law
officer and receiver of the aforesaid corpora
| ton, the redoubtable John X. Cowen, de-
scended upon Annapolis and demanded that
! this proposed assessment of tunnels should be
4 annulled. and the governor sent a message
and supplemental bill to the Legislature de-
manding such annulment as the only condition
upon which he would sign the assessment
bill, and the legislature, in both branches, in
the final hours suspended the rules made by
the constitution, and humbly complied with
that imperative condition, great Caesar never
won a greater victory than did John X.
| Cowen, and well might he have sent back to
his corporate councils the famous message of
the Roman conqueror, 81 VeRi, rid, cici. y
Great bosses, indeed, are Cowen and Yelling
ton, and some surprise has been expressed
that their great achievements have not been
more widely heralded by the State press.
The efforts being made by the now generally
discredited mugwumpian press of Baltimore
to deceive the people by the pretense that free
delivery in the suburban towns near Baltimore
is inseparably connected with the scheme of
post-Ofiice consolidation, and that the discon-
tinuance of the latter will necessarily work a
discontinuance of free delivery, are charae-
teristic. The fact is that there is no relation
whatever between the two. Hyattsville and
other Maryland towns that bear similar subur-
ban relation to Washington city are in.the full
enjoyment of the advantages of free delivery,
although they have never been and would not
submit to being made substations of the
Washington office; neither is the frequency of
mail communication with such suburban towns
at all dependent upon the undemoeratic con-
solidation scheme, but the Post Office Depart
ment has full discretion in relation to both of
these facilities not at all dependent on the
consolidation scheme. The fact is, however,
that the amendment of Senator Pasco to the
postoffice bill went farther than Senator Cor
man had contended for. Mr.. German, as ap-
peared by the extracts from his remarks given
in last weeks letter, did not deny, but rather
commended, the utility of the consolidation
scheme when limited in its scope TO towns
having suburban connection with the city.
Senator Pasco's amendment limiting the CON
solidation scheme to the corporate limits of
the cities was the result of his Interpretation
of existing law, which he fully discussed and
in which Interpretation the Senate concurred
with him.
The unequivocal declaration of the Balti-
more Bankers Association last week in favor
of the single gold standard has the merit of
being frank and honest, and is refreshing in
contrast with the equivocal and meaningless
declarations in favor of alleged bmetallism,
but in opposition to silver coinage. This has
been the merit of Mr.. Cleveland's declarations
on the money question. He has squarely adj
vocated the single gold standard, being in this
respect alone among the leading public men
of the country. The President has the eour-
age of his convictions at all times The
steadily onward march ofthe silver sentiment
in the South and West, however, begins to
assume large proportions, and many shrewd
observers predict that unless very deter
mined and concerted counter-effort is made
the silver sentiment will be found controlling
the Democratic National Conven ton when it
meets at Chicago in July. VERITAs.