The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-03-06
THE LEGISLATURE.
The Beginning of the End Is at Hand
and There Is "Somethin'
Doin'."
LOBBMSIS& BOODItRS IN THEIR GLORY
The Coalition of Republicans and Inde-
dependent Dem ocrats Still Holds and
Has Prevented DisGraoeful Legislation.
Local Measures of Interest.
Especial to The Republican.


The struggle over bills, which
marks the closing weeks of the SEES
sion, is beginning, and this week the
State House has been crowded with
people from all sections of the State,
who are here to advocate or oppose
measures of greater or less interest.
Beginning Monday night the lobbies
and corridors of the old building have
been filled with a mass of men who
always turn up here in March of the
legislative years to make an honest,
or more often a dishonest, penny or
two, in looking OUT for matters
which corporations and other 'disin-
terested' concerns may be anxious to
see defeated or enacted into law. This
year the crowd appears to be quite as
large as ever, and the usual boodling
and selling out takes place in the old
and time dishonored style. Corpora
ton attorneys and lobby agents, rep
resentatives of financial institutions
and struggling concerns which wish
to become financial institutions, are
all on hand, jostling each other in
their frantic efforts to get in at the last
aud make some of the hay which can
only be harvested while the legisla-
tive sun is shining, for a short period
every two years. The old crowd and
the old faces, that is those who are
still alive, are nearly all here as they
have been for a long period and as
they doubtless will be while the
breath remains in their bodies. New
faces are seen now and then. and men
are on hand who will take the places
of the older ones when they have gone
to their final reckoning-but the
lobby, like the poor, will always be
with us, and as soon as one gives up
the ghost another is on hand to step
into his shoes, while the biennial
farce at the State House continues to
go on.
The combination of Republicans
and Independent Democrats still
holds together and will probably hold
together and control the House to the
end of the session. 1t has accom-
plished much good already, and, what
is of quite as much service, has pre-
vented the ring from accomplishing
any evil, and public sentiment
throughout the State. and especially
in Baltimore city, is fast realizing
that it is not combination based on
plumber and spoils, but formed for
the express purpose of tn warting the
plans of those whose whole scheme is
based on plumber and spoils. With
the House absolutely in their control
they have done nothing radical. They
have displaced no officials placed in
power by the ring, but have given
those gentlemen to understand that
they must perform their duties with
fairness and impartiality to all, and it
is but just to say that all the officials
of the House, from Speaker Mitchell
down to the pages, have done so in a
surprising degree, and business is
carried on in a careful and dignified
manner, which speaks we'll for all con
cerned
The regular Democrats have sub
mitted with better grace than was ex-
pected in the new arrangement and
while they were disposed to kick and
raise rumpus at first they have
Quilted down and are now allowing
matters to go on as the majority
wishes without any great amount OF
grumbling. In fact not few of them
are really pleased at the transfer OF
power, for many are decent, self-re,
specting men, and are tired of the
constant and unreasonable dictation
of the managers, who were always in,
terfering and bossing, to an extent
which at times was almost intolera-
BILE to decent men. Signs are not
wanting that when the struggle
comes between the House and Senate,
as come it must before long, the com
bination will have an accession to its
numbers, which will largely add to its
strength, and that in the end the
ring-ridden Senate will be obliged to
yield in Difference to public senti,
ment, which is rapidly growing among
Democrats in all parts of the State,
in favor of changes in the present un-
just and outrageous election law.
The Senate is ring-ridden now. but
some of the Senators are becoming
restless at the situation in which they
have been placed by the folly of their
leaders and some of them may break
away at any time and join with the