Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-03-31
SESSION ENDS TONIGHT
Maryland Legislature Has
Had Stormy Meeting.
GORMAN BILLS KILLED
IMPORTANT CHANGES MADE IN
ELECTION LAW.
Effort to Gerrymander Congressional
Districts of the State
Fails.
G0RMAN BILLS KILLED
| Dispatch to The Evening Star.

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
STATE HOUSE, Annapolis, Md, March
31--The general assembly of Maryland will
conclude it's work at midnight after the
storrniest and most turbulent session since
the war.
While the regular democrats were able to
hold their forces together long enough to
re-eect Mr. German to the Senate and Mr..
Vandiver as state treasurer, since that time
the combination of republicans and indie
pendent democrats, under the leadership Of
Mr.. Straus, has had almost absolute con-
troll of the house of delegates. AS con-
sequence of this the German forces have
been defeated in everything on their pro-
gram.
They have passed large number of bills
through the senate, but MIR. Straus and his
combination have held them up and finally
defeated them in the house. The combina-
tor has forced through the passage of
perfectly fair election law which requires
the ballot to be printed in large. plain
type, one-sixth of an inch in length. and
otherwise prohibit such frauds on the bal
lot in the way of making 1t up as We're
perpetrated last fall in the southern Mary
land counties. and which gave the demo-
Gratis control of the general assembly. The
combination has also prevented the demo-
Gratis from passing their bills to gerry
OF Baltimore and forced them to agree to
a fair division of the wards.
Corporation Measures Defeated.
The German people were largely interest
ed in important corporation measures and
Senator Germans son, Arthur P. German.
jr, has been here the entire session lobby
ing for a bill which would have given the
Chesapeake and Cumberland railroad COM
pany a paper corporation, the control over
the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and other
valuable franchises, and would have author
lied the construction OF a raiiwas IN the
bed of the canal. This and other German
bills were passed by the senate and were in
the house with favorable report back OF
them. Mr.. Stratus had these bills called up
and indefinitely postponed on Saturday, de-
spite the strenuous lobbying Of young Mr.
German and his assistants.
This session has been noted for the large
amount of corporation legislation already
and passed now on the files awaiting action
before the closing hour tonight, Many OF
these bills will fail, as there is decided OPP
position to them
The appropriations made this session for
all purposes largely exceed those or any
previous session, and are considered ex-
travagant to an unusual degree. This morn
ing Governor Smith became almost deSper-
ate In the effort to secure the passage OF
some of his favorite bills and made an at
tempt to get the aid of Representative Sid
pey E. Mudd, who has been here all day.
Appeal to Mr.. Mudd.
The governor even came down stairs from
his office and made an appeal to Mr.. Muda
in the lobby of the state house, requesting
the help of the fifth district representative
to get the bill through which authorized
the appointment of large number of Of
ficials in connection with the oyster fish
cry. Mr. Mudd declined his services. al
though he was offered anything he might
want in the way of changes in the fifth
district, which would add to the republican
majority there.
The congressional redistricting bill as
passed today makes very few changes. 1t
will add another republican ward to the
fifth district and also two republican
wards to the third, thus assuring the re-
election of Messrs. Mndd and Watcher.
The democrats around the state house
are In badly demorilized state. and are
much chargined that they have been un-
although they started with a party ma
jority in both houses The republicans are
CORRESPONDENCE elated at their success in
thwarting democratic plans.
Southern Maryland Disgruntled.
The southern Maryland democratic dele
gates made a strong effort today to add
Montgomery county to the fifth congress
| sional district. Eloquent speeches were
made on the subject by Delegates Dallam
! and Wells in which they accused the dem
| ocratic leaders of having sold out south
| ern Maryland to Mr.. Mudd and added
| thousands of negro voters to the black
belt. They spoke in despairing tones of the
| plight in which they were left, and wished
| to have Montgomery county with them.
| They were voted down and Montgomery
| remains in the sixth district.
| The bill to permit women to practice law
! in Maryland passed the house today. 1t
| was already passed by the senate and will
be signed by the governor. There was a
| hard fight the bill.
PRAYED FOR CZOTGOSZ