The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1906-02-17
THE LEGISLATURES.
Stirring Events in the State Capitol
Briefly Told.

Correspondence of the Democratic Advocated
STATE HOUSE, ANNAPOLIS,
February Is b, 1906. !
Crowds at the State House have character.
lied every day this week; crowds Of people
here representing all sorts of interests, corpo
ration interests, private school interests, hos
initial interests, asylum interests, private bills,
private and public appropriations and all I'M
aqinable things. Office seekers and office
holders. delegations for this, that and the
other thing, have made life a burden to the
members, who have only had relief when the
departing trains carried their tormentors away
from the city. From now on to the closing
hours of the session these crowds will be
features of the State House, and there need
be no complaint that the members do not
earn their pay, for they do earn in trials of
patience more than they get.
Some of the delegations which come down
TO the Capitol are really very amusing, es-
pecially those which happen to meet IN oppo,,
sition to the same bill. This was illustrated
ron Wednesday when a delegation OF capital
lists and manufacturers appeared before the
Judiciary Committee in opposition to the bill
TO prohibit child labor in factories and sweat
shops. These gentlemen were met face TO
face by a delegation of earnest men and women
| in favor of the same bill, and they had 1t out
pro and con, then and there. These gentle
men, who are pious spoken cotton manutac-
| turers. have done as much to corrupt legisla
| ton in the past as any other set of men IN the
| State. and when they have been unable TO
| gain their point by argument. they have not
| hesitated to open their pocketbooks, and
! already they have ''ihe sympathy OF the
| Lobby in their task to defeat the bill.
| The Baltimore and Ohio investigation still
| hangs fire, and at last threatens to become a
party question, the Republicans lining upon
one side against long time committee, while
| the Democrats are on the other side in favor
| of a committee to sit after adjournment and
report to the next session in 1908. 1t is too
soon yet to predict, but the present indications
are that there will be preliminary investIga
| ton before the close of the session, and a
! fight later on to determine whether the com
| mittee shall continue in power after the hnal
| adjournment on April 2.
| Local legislation of all sorts from the coun-
| ties is going through both Houses with more
| than the usual rapidity, and whatever may be
said OF them, no one can justly accuse the
! members of inattention to business. There
are rarely ever any absentees from either
/ House, except on account of sickness, and the
/ members are a remarkably healthy lot of men
| who are looking after their work with more
| than the average attention and diligence II
! rs not expected that all viii ne shtlsiieu VIII
| what they do, for such condition OF affairs
has never happened before and is not likely to
| happen at this session. They seem TO be do
| ing their best. however, and should lie gwen
| all credit for what they do. They are equal 10
/ their predecessors of years past, and II the
/ Stale suffers at their hands it will BE- through
! no intentional ' 9ong doing on the part OF the
| majority.
| There does not seem to be much prospect
/ Of any material change ia the election laws.
The Democrats. apparently are indifferent,
| and if the Republicans iutead to do anything
| they have shown no strong disposition that
/ way up TO the present time The Crescent
/ Club committee is expected down here SOU
/ to urge further Improvements ia the primary
/ election law, which has for over & quarter OF
| a century been the hobby Of thar city organ
/ izatiou, and to which credit is largely due
/ for what Of primary election laws are on the
/ books at the present time, but up to date
nothing has been done in the matter.
/ There is more or less talk among the county
| people here As 10 the Governorship next year.
| All the candidates, whose names have been
/ mentioned from time to time, have thC'I
/ friends, but TIE coueensns Of opinion seems 70
4 to be that If Governor Warfield should change
/ bis mind and become an active rather than .
| passive candidate, eK Governor BrowC would
/ do likewise, and Ex-Governor Jackson would
also enter the race. when there would be az
entertaining SIGHT all around.