The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-04-03
Maryland General Assembly of 1902
Is Now a Matter of
History.
SESSION A BITTER LESSON IOGOV. ShITH
Mr.. FInzeI Fought the Appropriation Bill
which Carried 81 900 900 Aside From
the Sum of $500. 900 in Bonds For Pub-
lie Buildisgs-Local Measures Intro
dused.
Especial to The Republican.


The session of 1902 has ended, and
the old State House is Uttered with
books, papers and the usual debris
found in the Halls at the close of the
session as a reminder of what has
taken place. Most of the members
have departed, the few remaining be-
ing members of the Engrossing Com
mittees of the two Houses, while
lot of disguised State officials wander
around attending mechanically to
their duties, pausing at times to make
a few bitter remarks in regard to the
way in which the dominant party
was worsted in all it's encounters with
the House over the various measures
which have come up during the SEES
sion.
The session has been bitter
lesson to Governor Smith and the
Democratic leaders who have tried
to control affairs from the opening of
the Assembly. Ever since the COM
bination was formed between the Re-
publicans and the Independent DEM
ocrats under the leadership of Mr..
Straus one bitter dose of political
medicine after another has been
forced down the threats of the bosses,
from the Governor down to the hum
blest satellite of the ring in the
lobby. Day after day they were COM
PEELED by the combination to eat
political crow, feathers and all. At
one time one of their partisan schemes
would be overturned. Another day
a lobby measure in which they were
financially interested would be laid on
the table or indefinitely postponed de-
spite their protests. Again they would
be compelled to agree to the passage of
a bill which restricted their powers.
Another time they would be defeated
in an attempt to secure money from
the treasury for some partisan pur
pose and so on to the last hour of the
session, when they saw a large pro-
portion of their lobby and partisan
measures die on the files through the
efforts of the able young leader and
his faithful Republican and Demo
cratic allies. That they are bitter in
these first hours of rest after their al
most innumerable defeats is not to be
wondered at and the sorest and Bit
terest man in the crowd is His Ex-
cellency, the Governor of the State.
Mr.. Finzel has earned the title of
watch dog of the treasury and is
called so by everybody here, even by
those who are opposed to him and
his actions. When the appropriation
bills, which call for nearly twice as
much money as was ever appropri-
ated at single session, were up the
dele9 ate from Garrett made brave
fight against every one of them and
finally voted against all the bills,
standing almost alone in his opposi-
ton to them. Over one million dol
lars is called for by the bills passed,
not counting the bills for public
buildings, which direct an issue of
100000 in bonds to pay for the ar
mories and the additions to the State
buildings at Annapolis and the House
of Correction. Scarcely voice has
raised in protest against any of these
measures except that of Mr.. Finzel,
and he was powerless to stem the tide
of extravaganza. The head of the
pork barrel was knocked in and every
institution in the State was invited
to come and take out piece, which
they were not slow in doing.
Next week l propose to follow these
letters with something on the politi-
cal effect of the session. Below will
be found list of the bills introduced
by the county members:
Bills introduced in the House by
Assemblymen Finzel and Ashby:
Providing for the payment of the
March instalment of State school tax,
being the sum of 1912; passed and
signed by the Governor.
Providing for amendment to the
public school law; unfavorably re-
ported by the Committee on Educa-
ton.
Providing for appeals from Justices
of the Peace; unfavorably reported
by the Judiciary Committee.
To prevent the pollution of streams
in District No. 6; third reading file of
the House.
Prohibiting the sale of liquors in
Election District No. IA outside the
corporate limits of Oakland; passed
and signed by the Governor.