The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1906-02-22


built up, in any instance, something
better instead, your correspondent can
not at the moment call the instance to
mind. In addition to that, as a commit
tee man he is, if not an absolute fail
ure, far from a success: it is common
talk that he has "balIed up" the com
mittee on executive nominations into
frightful state There is announced
meeting of this committee, and when
the members assembled, it is said that
no chairman appears, and that the nomi-
nations are all locked up in the chair
mans desk. Only Friday an order,
providing for a stenographer for the
convenience of the committee on eXecu-
tive nominations, was put through the
Senate, because at least so the Senators
said in conversation, Lee had gotten the
recess appointments and the regular ap-
pointments, as well as the other work
of this committee, into such a snarl that
someone is absolutely necessary to
straighten him out. In the memory of
your correspondent there is no preced-
ent for this appointment of clerk to
the committee on executive nominations.
This committee was never before con-
sidered one so burdened with work as to
necessitate outside help. 1t is a minor
committee, and, therefore there is genu-
inc objection on the part of many peo-
pie to seeing Mr.. Lee elected to the
head of this all important special COM
mittee. With Tom" Hayes and Isaac
Lobe Straus on the council board, it is
true, that the chairman will have to be
heavy drag indeed, to prevent the ac-
complishment of very material results
anyway, still there is no denying the
bad policy of making man the head of
a momentously important committee
who has failed signally as the guiding
spirit in an ordinary one, and not even
of first magnitude, at that. Whatever
may be said of young German, and he is
a difficult man to estimate accurately,
there is no denying the fact that he at
tends to his committee in the Senate, he
has measured far higher up, and has
better qualified for the place which he
wants now, than the man who opposes
him. In addition to that it was German,
his motives whatever they NAV have
been, who brought this entire matter
to public attention, after its long sleep,
and to him on that account if on no
other belongs some consideration.
There Is a very strong impression
prevalent here that this committee can
not Go its work in thirty days, and that
it will not be able to make anything
like the report which it ought to make
and which its members will most earn
estly desire to make, by the 18th of
March. Political danger has almost, if
not entirely, been withdrawn by the
makeup of the organization, and it is
probable that longer life will not be
denied it, if it seeks longer life at the
time of its report. Rather is it proba-
bic that its scope will be materially eX-
tended and its energies directed upon all
corporations doing business in this State
and whose doings in the past is common
talk. The Gas company, under skillful
handling might be compelled to divulge
some interesting facts. Under what
head and bywhat authority the enormous
sums which this corporation is actually
known to have spent down here in years
past, might be worth knowing. The
United railway might tell, to an extreme
ly interesting audience, under just what
head Of expenditures it put down the
sums which it spent to defeat, as it did
defeat for years, the storm vestibule
bill; and to kill the six-for-a-quarter
bill, and other measures proposed,
which are still not laws. These facts
are all worth knowing and may profit
the State as we'll as Individual stock
holders. The right of directors to eX-
pend corporation moneys in this manner,
is decidedly in question.
That something of this sort may be
anticipated has been abundantly testifi-
ed to by events and incident of the last
three or four days. In private CONVEX
sations, members of the committee
have expressed their opinion to this eff
feet, and on the floor of the Senate,
Thursday afternoon, DR.. France Of
Cecil, made very determined fight to
have added to the joint resolution an
amendment to provide specifically for
the investigation Of the means by which
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad sue
ceeded in effecting the compromise Of
1878 and the other injurious things
which were done at that time to the
benefit of this corporation.
1t is generally felt that the commit
tee, as it is made up, will be entirely
honest. Not all of its members are be-
lieved to be good men and true, but its
balance will be honest, and its fractional
representation will prevent it being any
thing else. 1t has several very able
men on it, and probably has two of the
ablest men in the Maryland general as
sembly, but as a whole it is far from
brilliant. The great strength of this