The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-09-03


the head of Men and Events;''
MR.. LLOYD LOWNDES.
AS governor of Maryland from 1896
to 1900 this distinguished gentleman
was before the public eye for four
years, tmore. than any other man in
the state, owing to the fact that he
was the only member of his party
who had been chosen to that Office
since the civil war, and as his admin
istration is now part of history it is
needless to say that he bore the scru-
tiny remarkably well.
Governor Lowndes, as he is always
called, is over and above everything
else gentleman, and probably no
man ever occupied the executive chair
at Annapolis who more completely de-
served that appellation. OF courteous,
dignified and highly polished manners
he was so perfectly at home in the
cultivated society with which he was
rounded at the mansion, near the
State House, that he seemed to belong
to it. No matter what sort of people
he was thrown with while there, he
was at home with them and he had
the unusual faculty in public man
OF making them feel at home with
him. Whether they were politicians
from the country or citybred states
ha lynaXu hnIu fn 1St fhanl II
they were officers from the Naval
Academy or the departments at
Washington he was equally at ease,
and with the ladies he stood pre-em-
inently, for he is also a thorough
| ladies' man in the best sense of that
much abused term. Suave, easy, and
at the same time dignified, he was
often brilliant in conversation at the
numerous dinners and receptions
| given at the mansion and elsewhere
in the capital, and no one ever passed
a dull moment in his presence on such
occasions. He knew what to say and
| how to say it well, and he was always
surrounded by crowd of the most
brilliant people, not one of whom ex-
celled him in conversation. The only
public man in Maryland during the
past generation who was his equal as
a society star was the late Senator
| Charles H. Gibson, who possessed
many of the same agreeable qualities
which are characteristic of Governor
Lowndes.
But Governor Lowndes is not only
brilliant society man, he is also a
| first class business man, and proved
himself an able executive while in
Office. No governor of Maryland was
evermore open to conviction when
about to take action than he, and no
one in his position was ever more
| ready and anxious to remedy and
atone for any mistake he had made.
In the matter of understanding the
best public opinion, he resembled the
late President Mckinley, who was
known far and wide as the man who
always had his ear to the ground in
order to find out what the people
whose views were worthy of consider
alton, might want. If he made I'M
wise appointments, and no executive
has ever failed to commit this error,
he FASTENED to remedy the evil If
he found any of his appointees derelict
in duty he warned them, and when
warning failed he removed them. He
withheld commissions from appoint
ees when he found them unworthy to
hold the offices, and he removed unfit
| incumbents on more than one occasion
When he found the state tobacco
ware houses filled with unworthy men
that the payrolls were padded, and
the men neglectful of their duty, he
ordered an investigation, land prompt
| ly removed the entire crowd. He re-
formed the whole tobacco warehouse
system with club" so to speak,
and placed the business on a clean
basis, greatly to the disgust of the
politicians who looked upon this part
of the state administration as their
lawful prey. He reformed other abus-
es in the same way, and was not slow
about it when once convinced of the
real existence of wrongs.
In the case of matters before the
General Assembly Governor Lowndes
did not hesitate to interfere when he
thought it to be his duty to do SO and
when he believed public opinion de-
manded such action on his part. He
would not lobby so far as to go down
to the legislative halls to influence
members of the two houses, but he
never hesitated to send for the leaders
of both parties when measures of pub
lie interest were under consideration
in order to advise with them as to the
best course to be pursued. He was
always ready and even anxious to be
advised, and he often profited by the
advice given to him. He was never
headstrong or obstinate, but always
amenable to suggestions, which he
received with thankfulness. no matter