Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1906-03-06
THE WEEK IN POLITICS.
v.spme of The Situation In The
Light of The Last
Few Days.

II with crowds larger than usual
~, every section of the State. All
If business and other interests
s,,rgbt thr people here, and the mem
80 were kept busy from morning
.,,til late hour looking after their
g1rstituents who had come in force to
.sa them and TO hurry up legislation
Indifferent sorts.
gDoaEor Benson has taken hold of
lf. Irtfes with a strong hand, and is
,.ling his end of the State House in
w1y that is having the effect of
sreqily cxpediting business-he is
fc.pinr lhe files clear which would
otbsrwise be bursting with unacted
roou bills. Mr.. Benson realizes that
tbc only way to get through the work
is to do it with quickness and firm
moss tu which end he is using Reed S
celebrated rules with great effect,
and with excellent results to the bust
meas of tine session. Unless the Speak
er is firm and at times arbitrary the
House becomes obstreperuous and tn.
mulruous. and the presiding officer is
daipg hi, best TO carry things on in
t5s quickest possible way. His rulings
nave all been sustained up to the
nresaut time, many Of the RepEbli
mans voting with the majority TO back
him up Several Democrats at times
seem Inclined to bolt, but thus far
Douo have done so. Mr.. Benson is
more ponular now than he was at the
beginning of the session, and while
often members seem disgruntled at
his rulings, they realize that he holds
a very trying position, and is obliged
10 govern the obstreperous crowd an
der him with an iron hand, or sac it
run away with him and thus demoral-
ize the whole general assembly
One of the men who has measurably
risen I'm the public esteem during the
last two months is yOung Mr.. Gorman,
ef Howard At first, and to o large
extent during the whole CT last ses-
sion. people looked at him because he
was his fathers son. Now they look
al him because he is coming to be re-
garded as ono Of the ablest men here.
and me is winning esteem and respect
on his own personal merits. and not
because no is the son of m senior
Senator from Maryland at Washing
ton. He is modest, able, hard WORK
or, and while many we're disposed to
u,
no one does so now with any degree
of Justice. lie will rise in public
affairs on his own ability, aud not
because he is the son of a famous man.
The feature of last week was the
large number Of bills presented aimed
at the railroads of the State. They
cover all sorts Of matters and the in
diCations are that several will pass, so
that the prospect is that the people
will have RAJ ties of fare and freight so
that none can justly complain, and
that the public will get what has so
long been withhold by these great
corporations which have ruled the
State for years without let or him
drauCe The State may hereafter take
% turn and do as it should always
have done-rule the corporations.
The resolution to investigate the
Chcsapeak = Ohio canal sale will
probably b. passed before this letter is
in print Some scaudalous or startling
developments may take place, and the
people hud out just what was back of
that sacrifice of the millions invested
IN this great historic waterway.
The Crescent Club primary election
law bill. is now in the House and
strong efforts will be made to secure
lts passage, unless it is overwhelmed
by the tide of anti corporation bills
now ON the files If Mr.. Lehmeyer
aud those who favor the bill will push
it forward through the House as soon
as possible, it will have better
chance in the Senate than if left to
the last week of the session
Senator BreWington. at the dinner
OF the Democratic State Editors Asso
clifton here Tuesday night last, spoke
90 lougth of the work of the Demo
cratic State press since the organiza-
ton OF the association in 1899. He re-
called the fact that every Democratic
governor elected since that time had
MIST received the cordial support of
the county papers before his nomina-
non, aud IN every instance, beginning
with Frank Brown in 1891, and end
.ug with the present Governor, had
hT>t asked the support of the assooia-
Uon, aud had received it, The only
candidate not nominated in response
10 the demand of the press, was in
.>'a and the result of that year of
disaster is too we'll known and we'll
'm'mhered to need repetition. The
onucr was ono of the most successful
cor gJyou by the association. the
guest. ot honor being President Seth,
Speaker Bcusou, Treasurer Vandiver,
s"la.1r Gormau, Jr., Senator Biddi-
son and others