The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-03-31
|. THE MARYLAND
GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
The Session Will Close Monday Next
al Midnight.
LEGISLATURE EXCEEDINGLY DULL
About the Only Promise Made BY the
Democrats Fulfilled Was the Passage
of the Acknowledgement Amend
ment-Garrett County Legislation.
From our Special'C Correspondent
STATE House, ANNAPOLIS.

STATE HOUSE, ANNAPOLIS.
March Goth, 1904.
This week and Monday of next
week sees the end of the General AS
sembly Of 1904, unless, as is highly i'm
probable, an extra session should for
any reason be called. The old familiar
ast-week-hustle has pervaded the
atmosphere for week Or more
already, so everyone down here is
entirely aware of the near approach
of thei sessions close, and few are not
glad of it. Old timers say of it that
this has been one of the dullest if not
the dullest session within their men,
Dry, and few to contradict the state
ment are to be found. Much has been
done in the work of keeping up with
the important drudgery of clearing
away the files, certainly both
houses are to be congratulated, for
nothing in this regard justly lays this
session nor the officers of this assem-
bly, open to criticism. For little else,
however, will it be remarkable, and it
will hardly be denied that much that
has not been done was hoped and ex-
pected by many of this General As
sembly.
True, the. Acknowledgement amend
ment has been passed, and on that
score at least the Democratic mana
gers need not feel that they promised
much which they did not do. But
even here on this single matter of this
amendment the Governor and his
party are badly at odds. and none
would be very much surprised if the
one man most responsible for the
ultimate defeat of this amendment,
is not the Governor himself, the man
whom all would have justly expected
| from his remarks of a few months ago
to find in the front ranks of the bills
enthusiasts.
The present status of the am end.
ment is this and it was determined
last Friday 1t has been announced
for some time that Mr.. Warfeld
would not sign what is known as the
Poe am endment, which has passed
both houses and which is the very
nearest and closest dodge known tC
| get around the 18th amendment, and
which Mr.. Warfield objects to most
! because it DISTINGUISHES all non-prop
erty owning negroes, and at this
time has not entirely given up hope
that such bill may be put through
1t is safe to say that it will not be
especially now because of the action
/ of Friday, when on Mr.. German S
motion the amendment was placed liz
the keeping of the clerk to the court
of appeals, once and for all settling
the question of whether or not the
vGovernor shall veto the measure
The provisions of that bill are consid
cred very drastic and for the reason
that they are so compile tie that under
the operation of it, should it ever be-
come law or part of the constitu
ton, no negro can vote
The Hannah bill, loaded with
amendments so that Mr.. Hannah him
self dosn't know his pet project pass
ed the houee today, leaving the snar
no nearer a settlement than before,
for the Wilson bill which has passed
the senate is as different from the bill
which today passed the house as the
original bill was from these two meas
ures. 1t is not anticipated that much
good will come from this sessions
oyster legislation.
The repeal of the mortgage tax toe
is having all sorts of a stormy passage
committee having been put on from
the two houses today III order to fine
out way to get together on thi:
most important measure. AS it was
the senate refused to concur in the
houses amendments and the final
disposition of the matter is now ur
to the compromise committee.
/
The election bill. the three judges
bill, the elimination of the party de-
signation on the ballot bill and the
registration bill have all passsd the
senate, resting on the house files be-
fore striking out into the rough waters
ahead. For the house is likely to be
a very stormy place for those bills,
with its complete lack of organiza-
ton and powerful opposition. The
democrats in the house itself are any
thing but unit on the advisability
of these measures and the Governors
opposition is reported to be pronoun-
ced.