Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1900-04-12
The Legislature Of 1900.


from his neighbor There was super
abundance of leaders and consequently
no leader, Iealously was rampant.
Gen. A. Leo Knott was fitted to lead,
but was too modest to assume the leader
ship unasked. "He stood four square to
every wind that blew" and was, as aman
and Democrat, ever above suspicion
and above reproach, but there were &C.
cult forces in the City Delegation that
were always against him. Gen. Ferd G.
Latrobe couldn't lead because his views
were circumscribed and bounded by the
city limits and the belt annexed. Mar
tin Lehmayer,o Baltimore City, couldn't
lead because his city confreres didn't ad-
mire the cut of his hair, the euphony of
his name and the tone of his voice and,
moreover, ne even SHE'D. like nervous
horse, at the thought of county members.
Adoniram J. Robinson, of the Third City
District, was bright enough, but his
brightness was of the JACKIE lantern or
der and his leadership might have prov
en- of the same character. Stewart, OF
Baltimore county Long, of Washington;
Waller of Wicomico, were all men OF
talent, but their leadership died a-born-
ing. 1t was "norated" around when
Pattison, of Dorchester, was given a seat
that leader had been made, but there
was no rally to his call, and none fol
lowed him. The Speaker, when the ses-
sion was young, essaYed the dual role OF
chairman and leader and thereby unin.
tentionally "set the wool" on swell head
orators who thought the majority should
march to their ehin-music not the Speak
cr's, This was the apple Of discord and
the fruitful source Of combinations that
on divers occasions downed the organi-
zation, The majority of the City dele
cation seemed always to want to be "It'
and when it couldn't be, blocked the
game.
~ haze read in the lore Of the long ago
That symbol Of this life below
Is a boat with pBsled men to row
And blind man nt the rudder."
Mayhaps, this fits the case Certainly,
we were without an Acknowledged lead
er on the floor Of the House and some
times tho majority found itself in a
hole out of which it had TO stagger as
best it might. When things got into a
snarl there was no voice Of authority to
call order out of chaos and point the
way to success. With every man lead
er we were as bad Oft as the heavens
would be with every star comet, for
then, in the armament, things would
likely get smashed and nobody be to
blame.
The Republicans were in better plight
They selected leader and whenever he
pranced up the western aisle and spoke
his piece they wheeled in behind him
and generally voted as aunt One can
not detract from DeWalbach's success
by the statement that little bull.frog Is
giant among tadpoles, for words don't
wipe out facts. Long and Wolfnger,
of Washington county; Finzell, Of Gar.
rett, Lancaster, Of Charles, and Merrick.
of Prince Georges were all men Of force
and yet they generally followed their
leader, Then again, the Republican
bosses and sub bosses were ever gliding
in and out and keeping their men in
line Their dictum was Always vote
for an appropriation always vote TO.
gether; always vote against the Demo
cratic organization.
So much has been said against boss
ism that evidently the Democratic lead.
ers determined to let things run them.
selves and the result Is before the people
A good majority, undisciplined and un-
led, accomplished less than inferior men
might have done under leadership and
well organized.
Under such circumstances, the wonder
is, not that the House did not do better,
but that it did not do worse
The truth is, although the Assembly
VI AOVVj iallSN w W eOiltbiiuEh IL DuRht
to have done, yet it did many good
things, and deserves much credit
Itpassed police reorganization bill for
Baltimore City, it passed a bill securing
$40 gas for the city it passed bill Sc
curing minority representation on the
School Boards; its expenses were $l8 900
less than ITS Republican predecessor, and
it kept down appropriations
The esteemed Baltimore SUR rather
severely criticized the Legislature. 1t
gave it no credit and seemed to think
there was no good in it, and no good
could come out of it. This was unfair
When the Legislature was in session the
Sun sounded no clarion call to duty; it
gave no advice to recalcitrant members
Then blast from its editorial pen would
have been Of untold worth to the people
and the Democratic party. esteem the
SIN; | believe in it think it the great
est, falrest, best newspaper in the Union,
sincere friend of Southern Maryland,
and | regret that its searchlight was not
utilized to point out the way things
should have been done instead of wait
ing to blame after they we're done. This
course is all the more regretable because