The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1906-03-01
MATTERS OCCURRING
AT ANNAPOLIS
Low Priced Legislators Defeated the
hnti-Ci6arette Bill.

An1i-Ci6arette Bill.
STATE House, ANNAPOLIS, Feb. q.
The election Of Mr.. Garville d. Ben
son, Speaker of the House Of Delegates,
to the Craftsmanship of the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad investigating commit
tee, probably means that this great cor
poration has opened negotiations with
the organizations of both the Democratic
and the Republican parties. In other
words it has made a temporary arrange
ment. 1t is not now believed here that
the committee will accomplish much if
anything in the time originally allowed
for its investigation; the entire play of
the members will be for longer life while
the railroad efforts will be cocentrated
upon preventing anything of the sort.
The Baltimore and Ohio's case has
been handled from Baltimore; the lobby
at work in its behalf never showed its
head here at all; in fact the railroad
lobby has been conspicuous by it's entire
absence throughout this session. The
explanation of the course of young Cor
man, in giving way all along the line in
the matter of the committees makeup,
and in the remarkable selection of law
yers, lies doubtless, in the fact that he
knew that the regulars would control
the organization Of the committee: that
he knew of the politics that it might
play; that he knew that he could guide
its course with Benson chairman; and
that he knows that the responsibility
nevertheless for any misuse of power
or any instruction of energy will fall
upon Benson. All of this is typical Cor
man politics personal politics. 1t ex-
plains why Arthur did not want the
craftsmanship it almost states the ex-
act length of time since the B. & 0.
opened negotiations.
1t is generally conceded that in Sc
! Letting Benson over Lee, the committee
selected the ADLER man Of the two, al
though there's strong minority differ
ence Of opinion on this subject. Men
who constitute this minority, declare
: that the criticisms directed at Lee are
in a measure unjust but in explaining
why they are unjust, these gentlemen
themselves unintentionally perhaps,
strike at him even harder 1T is not
lack of ability at all, they say which
balled the committee on Executive
Nominations up; it is nothing in the
world but laziness or indifferencer
( Certainly Mr.. Lee did build up last
week, as well as tear down, " whether
to show that he could in answer to crit
icisms directed at him there or not, is
unknown; but when he objected to a
techanical error in a House message to
the Senate, on Thursday, he did not
rest content with defeating the adoption
of the defective message, but wrote out
the return message, which unsnarled
the body. 1t was a minor point, but
the first of the kind in Mr.. Lees record
thus far
1t is generally conceded that the
matter of the selection of the committee
chairman was unduly narrowed.
| Neither of the men balloted for were
logical candidates. General Joseph B.
Seth, President of the Senate, would
have lade the ablest presiding officer,
while Mr.. German was the logical can
didate for the place On the former as
it is in this investigation, very much de
ponds, and to him the people of this
state will look to see that their interests
are served. President Seth is a straight
organization Democrat, but he is also
an honest, Independent man, and while
hecertainly voted for Benson to head the
| committee, he almost as certainly will
not vote to sustain that gentleman if he
attempts to play politics with it. So
that after all, it may be out of the pow
er Of the organization in Baltimore to
deliver goods for which it has possibly
taken contracts, and the B. & O. might
carry this in mind.
/ The result of the cigarette hill fight
in the House last week has a tlisappoint-
ing surprise. A most brazen and active
lobby accomplished the defeat of this
bill. The result is more painful to
Marylanders who take pride in the
fair name of their State, because if
/ common report about this transaction
be true, the present House of Delegates
is not only corrupt but extremely low
priced. 1t is stated freely that $50 a
vote defeated the bill, for which an
honest and strong public sentiment ex-
listed in every part of the State. The
author, DR.. Goldsborough of Caroline
county, had conducted notable fight in
its behalf, and has already renewed the
contest. A new bill, somewhat similar
in character, was introduced the very
next morning in the Senate, the DR..
not even waiting to be present himself,
but intrusting its introduction, in his
own unavoidable absence to Mr.. Lee.
The cigarette bill results is of more
Importance than would otherwise be
the mere killing of this measure, good
f V1Trh. Il II