The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-01-10
Jan. 5. 1896.

| Jan. y, lO0Os
The Legislature has met and ajOurn-
ed, exhausting itself by the election of
President of the Senate and
Speaker to the House. 1t remains to
be seen whether the pledges made in
the platform If the party now going
into power will be carried out. Any
one In politics knows the immense diff
ference between platform pledges and
enacted legislation. The most inpor
tant bills to come up this session are
for a reassessmeut and revaluation of
property in the State; the free school
book bill and a bill to make the vast
oyster beds of the Chesapeake and its
tributaries yield more revenue to the
State than at present. These are the
old bills that have been before the
Legislature every session for number
of years, without final or definite ac-
ton. In that class of proposed legisla-
ton popularity known as ''reform, !" the
most important laws promised are for
the reorganization of tie Police De-
partment of Maryland, a Civil Sery,ce
Reform bill and new election law.
1t is understood that the reassess-
ment bill to he offered 70 the Republic
cans, differs but little from the Hayes
bill of last session, the only aIterati III
of any moment being in the methods
of taxing bonds. On the other hand,
the bill in course of preparation by the
Democrats is of an entirely different
character from any ever presented to
Maryland Legislature, possessing de-
cidedly radical features. The Republi-
cans expect to introduce their bill at a
very early period of the session, in
the House, and thus derive the advan-
tage generally conceded to the early
bird. Whether the worm caught be
of satisfying flavor or not, is yet to be
determined.
The free school book bill, VIII lch has
bObbed up serenely session after ses-
sion, will this winter have an unus-
ually strong lobby of school book pub
fishers arrayed against it. Yet their
chances of success are small, and it
seems likely that this BILL vetoed once
10y the Governor, and once defeated in
the House, will become "a law in the
Legislature of '96. Though not embod-
led in the Republican platform, the
bill was made much of as campaign
material, and unless an economic fit
strikes those watch dogs of the Treas
ury, the county members, not much OPP
position is apprehended either from
Democrats of Republicans.
Mt 10
that bill to raise the amount to be
paid for liquor license, will be intro
duced early in the session, and that
there will be little or no opposition to
its passage. The question now is as to
whether the fees shall be raised to
$500 or ST. 200, with the chances that the
smaller figure will prevail.
or course. many more subjects for
legislation will turn up before the SEES
sion is over. An immense amount of
private and county legislation is eX-
pected to be considered, and a session
full of work and of interest is antici-
pated.
THE UNITED STATES SENATORSHIP.
The unusual spectacle of the Eastern
Shore and Southern Maryland stand
ing together, as they did in the late
contest for Speaker of the House, seems
to signify that they will also be unit
in the election of United States Sen
ator, thus defeating Wellington's aspi-
rations. The earliest and most active
work for the Senatorship is being done
by the Eastern Shore delegations. Capt.
Burchinal, that stalwart leader of Eas-
tern Shore Republicanism, has been here
from the beginning of the session,
most actively engaged in State Sena-
tor WestcOtt's contest the United
States Senatorship. Mr.. Westcott is
certainly an important factor in the
fight, by reason of his great services to
the party, and his high standing as
lawyer and man of business. Con-
gresham Wellington has opened head
quarters in Annapolis at the Maryland
Hotel. Two of his friends, o. M. Hob
ing and w. III. Evans, of Frostburg,
have arrived here and made all pre-
iminary arrangements. The hotel peO-
pie have christened the new apart
ment Wellington Hall.
PHILOSoPHIC DEMOCRATS.
Whilst the Democrats of the Senate
and the unterrified generally did not
take kindly to the manner in which
Senator Bruce fianked them, yet the
philosophy with which they have
made the best of the situation betokens
promise of a conservative and success
full course in the Senate and an earnest
of more careful party manage hent in
the future. They have frankly shown
that they are not happy in the under
taking, but preferred to have a man o
Democratic instincts, though out with
the organization, to rule over them,
than to turn the State completely
over to the Republicans and let them
bind the Democracy of Maryland
hand and foot. Senator Bruce under
stands the situation, and this candor
promises to lead to good results, and,
as minorities always do their best work
when they have little to gain and
nothing to lose, the common mis-
fortunes of the great Democracy of
Maryland promises to unite the party
this winter in common opposition to
Republicanism. The spirit of the Dem
ocratic Senators and the few Demo-
cratic Representatives in the House is
unbroken, and the winter promises to
see the party united in common pol
icy and coming out with a record
on which all Democrats will. with
courage, unite and redeem the State
in this Presidential year of grace.
The local measures which Republi-