The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-07-05
OFFICIAL FAVORITISM.
How the People Suffer Under Democratic
Control of State Government.

to it. In that time l have seen many
political abuses that l was the first tC
assail absolutely abated. l have al
ways held it to be the right of any
citizen to closely scrutinize the con
duct of public servant, and to bring
to the notice of the people the man
ner in which official duty is discharg-
ed by those who receive salaries from
the public treasury and live off the
money of the people. The man who
accepts office should be willing to at
tend to the duties of his position. The
people have right to expect that he
will properly attend to the business
entrusted to his care, and for which
he accepts pay.
The new administration of affairs
is not being conducted along these
lines, and the people have right to
be apprised of that fact. l am GER
tain that the, present Commissioner
of the Land Office has not devoted
one week of his time to the discharge
of the duties of the Office he sought
and accepted since his appointment.
He knows nothing of the duties of
Land Commissioner, and he has not
the slightest intention of learning
them. In his defense it may be said
he is following long line of preced-
ent. But does that make it right for
him to accept $125 of the money of
the people every month for services
he does not render and never had the
slightest intention of rendering?
How does he know how the office is
being conducted? How does he know
that the clerks are earning their sal
aries? Has General Bond earned a
dollar of the salary he is receiving?
Does he intend to perform any ser
vice? The general impression is that
he did not take the office with any
such idea. In the office of the Land
Commissioner, it is plain, there are
abuses to be corrected, and public at
tention is, and will be called to them
persistently in the future.
Now hesitate to criticise the Off
cial conduct of a lady, and really
think the party in the case most
blamable is the Comptroller He
should hot allow the State to pay for
services that have not been rendered,
and surely Miss Dryden, of Worcester
county, has rendered no service what
ever to the State in the Comptroller's
Office up to this time. 1t is claimed
that she is teaching school, and can
not take up her duties here until the
end of the school term in Worcester.
Will she receive two salaries for June,
1900-one as school teacher on the
Eastern Shore and one as Clerk in the
Comptrollers Office at Annapolis?
Very likely, for it is good thing to
be connected with John Smith, Gov
ernor, about this time. But is it
right? Was the Democratic party
placed in power for such purposes,
and is it honest thus to throw away
the money of the people?
In my letter last week l charged
that Mr.. Hopkins had led the Comp
troller into a Justification of his ac-
counts. l want to explain that, hold
that when an expenditure is purpose
ly charged to the wrong account it is
Justification of that account. For
instance. If debt is made for the
use of the Comptroller office it should
be paid out of the contingent fund of
the Comptroller. But if, for the pur-
pose of saving the contingent fund of
the Comptroller it is paid out of the
contingent fund of the Board of Pub
lie Works, the accounts are being falls
flied, and the law is being violated.
assert that this was done with DR..
Hering's knowledge in two instances
during the month of May last, and
that it was frequently done through
Mr.. Hopkins manipulation in previ-
GUS years. The practice is wrong,
and should never have been allowed.
Then there is the practice of indulg-
ing tax collectors. This is mine that
when properly worked will show how
large sums of money were taken from
the taxpayers, but lost to the Treas
ury, every year through the neglect
of those whose duty it was to look af-
ter such matters. Between the tax
collector and the law there was no
official except the Comptroller. If
the latter failed to enforce the law
the people and the Treasury were
both robbed, and that is shown by
the books to have been o matter OF
common occurrence in all parts of the
State during the period extending
from the close of the war until 1896.
During the four years of Republican
rule between 1896 and 1900, there was
a violent shaking up of delinquent
tax collectors, the excellent result OF
which was manifest in the increased
distribution to the public schools dur
ing that time.
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