The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-12-26
A STORM Is BREWING.
Democratic Managers Are Threat
ened With Lots of Trouble
at Annapolis.
THEIR SANE OLD METHODS PURSUED
Course That Once Before Wrecked the
Organization is Being FOIlowed-The
Speaker of the House Has Not Yet
Been Selected.

A storm is brewing at Annapolis
which threatens much damage to the
Democratic machine.
Disaster may be ayerted if the man
ayers adopt proper precautions be-
fore the General Assembly convenes.
but if the usual procrastinating pol
icy is adhered to trouble is appre
hended and by number expected.
From time immemorial it has been
the policy to keep the members in the
dark as to the intentions of the man.
ayers. This small but select coterie
always allows the aspirants for hon
ors to launch their respective booms
and sing their own praises, but Just
before the Legislature convenes all
the ambitious ones are choked off and
other candidates jammed through.
The same methods are employed in
matters affecting party policy. No
matter how meritorious the measure
or how strong its endorsement. if it is
not to the liking of the coterie it is
throttled before its sponsor has had
an opportunity to bring it before the
Legislature. No action of any kind
can be taken until the verdict of this
self Reconstructed jury has been rem
dered.
For years the party representatives,
| like dumb driven CATTLE" have sub
mitted to the will of their drivers
without complaint. A few gave vent
to muttered imprecations, expressing
dissatisfaction, but they were too
cowed to rebel openly. No attention
was paid to their objections. The
slate as arranged was pushed through
and to man they voted for it. The
non-Dartisans called this obedience
subserviency, but the managers
proudly referred to it as organization.
Having worked the same so sue
cessfully in the past the managers
apprehend no difficulty at this SEES
sion, but they were grievously disap-
pointed. The worms are turning
that is to say, just enough are turn
ing to interfere with arrangements.
These few come very near holding
the balance of power and must there
fore be considered. Not only are they
Kicking against the proposed organi-
cation of the House of Delegates, but
they threaten to make matters inter
estlng when some of the pet measures
of the machine come before them.
1t is passing strange that veteran
party leaders, instead of profiting by
experience, should persist in defying
public sentiment when they would
fare equally as well, if not better by
yielding. Surely recent happenings
should have taught them the futility
OF methods calculated to deceive.
This served purpose in days gone
by when the conditions were very
different from what they are now. In
recent years, however, the partisan
lines have not been so closely drawn.
The Independent spirit breathed into
the body polite by Teackle Walls
has been continually spreading, until
now there are enough voters refusing
to be bound by party ties to deter
mine the result of an election.
The Democrats haye no reason to
crow over the victory they gained at
the last election. They succeeded in
winning only by using unfair meth
DDS. Had all the voters in the State
to whom the constitution guaranteed
the right of franchise been permitted
to exercise that privilege, Mr.. Cor
man would not now be in position
to direct majority in the Legisla-
ture. AS twas, he just managed to
pull through, with scarcely any votes
to spare.
Old tim ers who have the welfare of
the party at heart do not hesitate to
say that it is now time to abandon
the old methods and conform to pub
lie sentiment. If, they assert, the
jamming process is not discontinued
the State organization will be as much
discredited as is that in Baltimore,
and its downfall must surely follow.