Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1897-10-29
votAs-a record Of Shamefw hypesxay
upon the part Of tie Governor and
the Republican Legislature.

! Jne hepuDucan beStSiatuFe.
OFFICIAL CORRUPTION.
In 1895 every Republican leader ant
speaker wrapped himself In a robe o
purity, and with honied words, dis
claimed craftsmanship and pretended HI
was only interested in good govern
ment No sooner had the party beer
placed in power than official raScality
became apparent. Mayor Hooper si
Baltimore appointed negro as 81
perinteDdent OF street cleaning. Ever
white man was discharged and his
place filed by a negro, and the super
intendent made each pay tribute to
him out Of his wages, and robbed the
city by turning In false pay rolls.
At Annapolis legislation was bought
and sold, and the State tobacco ware
houses were filled with lncompetenta
and dishonest officials, and with IN.
necessary officials, and In addition
twenty fictitious names were carried
On the pay rolls, the State thus being
actually robbed. The tobacco OF one
planter was made away with. At
least, after much delay, he called at
one Of the warehouses and inquired
for 1t, and Its receipt was ackI0wi-
edged, but he was told the tobacco
could not be found. In order to make
the Loss good to the planter the lat
ter's name was placed upon the pay
roll and check was sent him month
ly. This was another ro' berry Of the
State
And the Hon. Sydney f. Mudd, who
Is to be chosen United States Senator
in the event Of Republican success,
also received some of the State to-
baccO warehouse funds, although he
held no position in any warehouse.
DEPOSITS OF STATE MONEY. :.
Under the last two years Of Demo
cratic rule sufficient interest was re-
ceived on deposits of the States funds
to pay the salaries of the Comptroller
and Treasurer. Under Republican
rule, at least one bank. the Farmers
anu Mechanics National Bank OF
Westminster, to which Attorney Gen
eral Clabaugh is counsel, Is enjoying
the benefits of Il deposit of nearly &c.
900, upon which no interest is paid.
THE NEW ASSESSMENT.
The new assessment has been par
ticularly pointed to with satisfac-
ton as Republican measure, and
yet II has been shown by the Demo
cratic Editors Association to be very
disappointing one to the people. The
people wanted law that would bring
upon the tax books the millions of un-
taxed personal property and would re-
quire all persons to pay taxes accord
ing to their actual worth in real and
personal property, AS the constitution
provides Under this boosted Repub-
licant law wealth still escapes its just
proportion of the public burden and
real property, particularly farming
lands, is disproportionally taxed.
The law is far from being clear and
explicit, and parts of it are declared
unconstitutional by able lawyers. In
the main act sliding scale" was
adopted, assessing bonds, etc, that
bear six per cent interest, at half their
face value, and those that bear less
rate of interest at less than half their
value. Those thai had not actually
paid interest we're not to be assessed
at ALL This provision was repealed
by a supplemental act, which provided
for assessing bonds, etc, at their mar
ket value, and taxing them for county
and municipal purposes at 30 cents on
the 800, and no more. What injus-
tice this fair and equitable assessment
works. Six per cent bonds to be taxed
at 80 cents on the 500, and farms
paying not over four per cent taxed at
a higher figure, from As cents In Car
roll, which has the lowest county vote,
all the way to $1.16 in Calvert, which
has the highest.
In making the new assessment care
seems to have been exercised 10 keep
up real estate values, particularly
farming lands, so that the basis would
not fall and tax votes 60 80 high As 10
react against Republican rule.
The mortgage tax Is another dis
elimination in favor of wealth, and
Is also an unsatisfactory feature Of
the law. In fact, there is nothing sat
isfactory about this boosted Republi-
can measure. 1t Is essentially in the
interest of the tax-dodgers, and makes
the plain people bear an undue pro-
portion of the public expense.
And the banks and financial insti-
tutions of the State. particularly in
Baltimore, have had their assessments
greatly reduced by Comptroller Ora
ham and Treasurer Shryock, and that,
too, when the market value of the
same has changed little, If any, since
the Republicans assumed control If
the State. In the general tax lodging
done, under provisions Of the assess
ment law, the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company has gotten its share
of exemption, though 1t had always es-
capped tax upon its roadbed, stations,
etc. This time the rolling stock was
pulled from under the hand of the tax
gatherer.
The Editors Association has pub
liShed a number of articles against the
Republican party. One showed its
composition, and how a few whites,
and ntaxpaying and unrepresenta-
tive whites at that, could WELD i'm
mense power by reason of the large
number of colored voters under their
control.
The hypocrisy of the Baltimore Sun
on the sugar tax, which created Demo
cratic division in this State has been
shown and the true facts about the
tax given. Its inconsistency upon the
rebate on tin and hides was exposed,
and it's deception upon the money Ques
ton.
1t has been shown by the Associa-
ton how the Republicans themselves
had used bribery and corruption
against each other in their primary
contests, and the observation made
that men who would do that were not
to be trusted with control of this State
that the State treasury was not safe
in other hands.
Read the Republican record. 1t has
been accurately set forth by the Demo
cratic Editors Association, and a sum-
mary is given above to recall it to the
minds Of voters. The taxpayer interest.
ed In good government can not afford
to vote another lease of power to the
Republican party. Its record has been
one of incompetency, hypocrisy and
corruption.