The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1906-03-10
THE LEGISLATURE.
Stirring Events in the State Capitol
Briefly Told.
IC1rrespoaieaoo C, The DeEsocrAne Adyccaic-I
STArE HoCsE, ANNAPOLIS, !
Nj a.h l.ah, [

IC,lrrcsvouienc, q the D-rlocustie Adyccatc-I
SrArF HocsE, ANNAPOLIS,
March sih. 1895.
The Democratic orgAniE cation Of Maryland,
daring The past t~a weeks or twenty days has
been changing front The change has been
sudden and vet gradual, Il has been 50 gradual
that not one Of the great papers OF Mary
has vet made note OF the fact, II has been 50
sudden that in the short time mentioned II has
hem rarna}rts. Il Is q change Of slSo. The
leaders q the Democratic party ia this State
and she heads Of the organization have seen The
hand xritiug on the wall. aud are proving that
they hAv, not ougiived their qualifications Tor
leadership; they have recognized the sisns OF
change. everywhere apparent, and have gwen
over their old tactics viih the passing OF the
ola regime. II may be stated. without quail.
f,ing clause, that the Democratic organization
i heart and soul with the people OF MARYLAND
in III, great fight which il now going on here
AZ The State House. The corporations are
srraged on one side aud the State Is on the
other.
/, q generally believed tha, the lombard.
REQ, ~ railwny eorporaiions. which began
moalh ago, and which is growing more severe
almost daily. IS nothing more nor less than the
careful unfolding Of skillfuIy prearranged
plan. Almost every railway bill which mas
b-en introduced has been link IN the cham
The plan Is 10 recover for the STATE what tue
Washington Branch has withheld Tor number
OF years, beginning with 1927 TO get at the
bottom OF, and If possible, ImprIson TIE man
rssn,os,bl. for the sale OF the Chesapeake and
Ohio Canal. thai is the man believed to have
been responsible in an unlawful way for the
fact that sl5O. 600 was the very highest bid
received for that immensely valuable property,
and 10 recover 10 the State the whole OF OF the
sum which il lost in the transaction; TO beat
The Baltimore and Ohio, the Western Mary
land and other corporations with clab into
7yaiyiur their tax.exempuons, and lastly to
r.naal The tax exemption privileges OF the
Baltimore. Chesapeake aud Atlantic railway,
originally a small weak corporation, but now
n corporation, under cover of whose exemption
the PENNSYLVANIA Railroad operates nearly
an the roads on the Eastern Shore
On its face this campaign was begun IN a
svstemless, haphAzard way; 1t Is very probable
tbat This appearance was also part OF the
ORIGINAL plan. 1t is a singular thing that very
f-w people around the State House have the
slightest doubt but that practically all OF the
r,,iroad bills will pass, Had the railway cor
norat;ons been able TO see what was coming
absn this thing opened up, possibly they might
have mined il In the bud. There may be some
ADVANTAGES in the quiet methods for which
Maryland's senior Senator IN Washington mas
so often been attacked and reylied. Even
during the past week the flood OF railroad D'iis
had ali the outward appearance OF the usual
mass of bel.ringing pluggers which always
appear and always die IN committee
Some idea of what the legislation now under
way here will mean to the people OF Baltimore
and to MARYLAND, fit is passed, may be gather
Cd from one single item; in Baltimore city
alone the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad es-
canes taxation annually an amount something
over 5000. 900, which it will be compelled to
r,ay e he Shannon tunnel BILL and the priv.
ilegas hill and the discrimination bill pass, and
4 has already been intimated that they prob
ably will pass What effect 1t Will have on
the tax.rate, if the very considerable western
MARYLAND, Pennsylvania and other exemptions
are brought under it is nearly Impossible 10
say, making no mention whatever OF the 'h
terest due from the Washington bra al, anu
the other pbases of the situation all hlled with
nossih;Iities of equal taxation for all and ex-
a,nrt;ons and martial exemptions for none.
The nresept Maryland legislature Will prop
abIv 90 down in State annals with notable
record: It is below the average possloly' III
Intelligence and ability, but at this time more
real valuable legislation looks GOOD tor passage
than has been passed by any half dozen OF Its
nora recent predecessors combined. mere
must be some explanation for this apparently
anomalous condition, a legislature beio" the
average, and yet Legislature wnion I promises aHd
10 be the means ofaccomplshlng a great emu
Possibly the explanation hes Just there III tue
FACT that il is merely or largely means.
The rush and hurry of the closing weeks OF
,ho sess;on are here, and both Houses have
been ee putting bills through or adopting untayor
chile renorts about them, with great rapldlty
s ap'e I Monday night. Very few of the meas
S ures disposed Of we're Of much interest except
the e hill to repeal the judges pension law which