The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-04-13
WHAT MIR. ItAYNER THINKS.

Attorney General Rayner, who has been
necessarily at work since the adjourn
| ment of the Legislature examining the
large amount of legislation submitted to
him, including nearly eight hundred bills
and resolutions passed by the General
Assembly, iii speaking of the general
character Of the legislation said Tues
day:
"A number of beneficial laws have
been passed. A list of the public statues
is now being made, and it will show a
great many enactments that will insure
to the public benefit. The large number
of bills that have been adopted is due to
the fact that the Court of Appeals some
time ago gave construction to the con-
stitutional restriction in reference to
corporations which opens wide the door
for legislative franchises. Trust COM
panies are being chartered in places
where there is hardly a trust to execute
and electric railways along routes where
there is hardly human habitation. The
present Legislature adopted a very wise
provision that in cases of this sort un.
less active operations are commenced
within given time the charter shall be
forfeited.
$50 far as l have been able to discover
our city representatives in the Senate and
House guarded with jealous vigilance the
provisions of all charters authorizing the
use of the streets. l examined them as
carefully as could within the limited
time allowed, which is six days from the
pres entation of a bill, and SO did ex-Gov.
Whyte and his first assistant, Mr.. Bryan,
and we found great care taken in their
provisions. l venture this assertion: If
there is any clause in any of them that
gives rights without the consent of the
city, fraud has been committed upon
the Legislature. A number of them were
suspended, but upon careful examination
proved to be correct. 1t is task almost
impossible Of accomplishment to examine
thousands of pages of legislation in six
days.
Il want to say in this connection, and
everyone who is conversant with the sur
roundings will sustain me, that Governor
Smith has been interchangeable in the labor
that he has devoted to the examination
of these measures. l have come in con-
tract with our Governors for % years, and
it is no disparagement to any of them to
say that no one has exceeded him in the
faithful and intelligent performance of
his duties. He has devoted every moment
of his time to the public interest with I'M
remittiug zeal, and has always exercised
a most uniform courtesy to the those with
whom he has been brought into official
contract, and at the same time absolute
frmness and resolution after he has
arrived at conclusions and results. l do
not say this merely in a spirit of loyalty,
but because my constant observation of
his course has satisfied me of his unflag-
ging fidelity to the public interest,"
The administration does not intend that
a decision from the Supreme Court shall
be had on the question of the Constitution
following the flag before the Presidential!
election, if it can possibly prevent it. This
has been shown by the action of Secretary
Gage in ordering that a contract laborer,
brought from Porto Rico to New York for
the express purpose of making a test case,
be allowed to land. Representative Nc
Clellan, of New York, has offered reso-
luton in the House, calling upon Secrc-
tary Gage for the correspondence in this
case, and Senator Jones, of Arkansas, Of
which was at once adopted. How this
action on the part of Secretary Gage
strikes the democrats and populists in
Congress may be judged from the follow
ing expressions of opinion: Senator Till
mani don't blame the republicans for
trying to dodge the issue, for they must
realize that the decision of the courts will
be against them. If l had my way would
of the question by going to Porto Rico
and securing ship load Of contract labor
ers and bringin g them to the United States. |
A tremendous howl would go up from or
gained labor which would compel the ad
to submit to a test of the law"
Senator Taliafero-"The administration
seems anxious that the Porto Rican ques-
ton should remain suspended in mid air
until after the Presidential election"
Senator Butler, Chairman of the Populist
National Committee-"There is no doubt
in my mind that the republican party is
afraid to have the matter tested in the
courts prior to the Presidential election"
Repre- sentative Sulzer, of New York