Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1900-03-29
Editorial Correspondence Qfthe Beacon.
Letter From Baltimore.
BALrIMonr, March 20, 10OO.

added not little to the troubles OF
Governor Smith. In speaking OF
the arrangement between Speaker
Lloyd Wilkinson and Senator Moore
by the defeat of the Gas Bill in the
Senate the political writer Of the
Sunday Herald says: "There are
no two men in the State as near His
Excellency as are Speaker Wilkin-
son and Senator Moore. The for
mer is his staunch political ally,
while the latter is his friend and
partner in business. During the
recent campaign both rendered val
liable assistance and the Governor
acknowledges his obligations to
them. On all matters pertaining
to legislation he has consulted with
them before taking action, and it
was generally understood that while
the Speaker voiced the Governors
views in the House, Mr. Moore rep
resented him in the Senate. Not
only were these two gentlemen con.
fdants of the Governor, but they
were personal friends as we'll, and
until the unfortunate break on the
gas question they we're quite init
mate.
"Now they are as far apart as are
Lowndes and Wellington Nor do
those who know them best expect
they will ever get together again.
If there is any one man who can
restore the entente cordiale, that
man lie the Governor, aud even be
will acknowledge that some time
must elapse before peace can even
be suggested. Just nov both are
exceedingly bitter, each charging
the other with Misrepresentation.
Moore himself states that when Mr..
Wilkinson submitted to him the
compromise he answered, can
right" This reply the Speaker
construed into an acceptance and
acted accordingly, 1t would have
been better for all concerned il the
Senator had definitely stated that
he was not in favor Of any change
in the price. There could then have
been no Misunderstanding.
While the bill would probably
not have passed che House in the
shape it came from the Senate, if
the vote on the Poe amendment is
held responsible for the failure to
give the friends Of the bill an op-
portunity to vote upon it. With
the best attention in the world be
urged the adoption Of the amend
ment, believing that the Senate
would promptly follow suit. lie
told the mem ers of the House that
he had received positive assurance
that the amendment fixing the
price at 81 10 would be accepted and
hence the unanimous vote Of the
House upon the amended bill.
When, therefore, the Senate, af-
ter coDcurring, refused to pass the
measure, the Speaker and his friends
were naturally indignant, and at
once reached the conclusion that
they had been "gold bricked. "
Had Senator Moore voted for the
bill the fscling would not have been
so intense, even though it could not
have carried with his assistance.
But his refusal to support it, to-
gether with the detection of Sena-
tors Kirwan and Rayenscroft, lent
color to the report that had been
floating about the State House,
namely, that if rider could be at.
tached to the measure 80 that it
would have to be retained to the
Senate, it would mot again pass.
Hence it was that The friends of
one-dollar gas claimed they had
been tricked, and hence the determ-
ined effort to get the bill back into
the House. The order passed on
Friday compelling the Corporations
Committee to report the bill intro
duced early in the aession forth
with, was necessary in view of the
fact that majority were opposed
to the measure, and the amendment
submitted only complcates the sit.
uation, for there are now three pro-
positions before the General Assem-
bly,, one making the price 81, anoth-
$1.10 and third 81 Is.