The Washington herald., 1908-02-15
A Maryland Political Experiment


The Maryland legislature has during the
past few years devised a plan for the
recompense Of needy statesmen and the
promotion OF party welfare-the welfare
Of the party of the majority-that in some
respects Is an interesting political expert
ment, though It IS viewed In quite another
and less favorable light by a large pro-
portion Of the press and public We refer
10 the appropriation of a lump sum for
legislative expenses far in excess Of those
expenses, the difference constituting a
fund which the legislators are expected to
place where it will do the most good"
politically. At the present session it was
proposed 10 appropriate $4,000 I'm this
way, but former Gov. Warfeld made so
vigorous an onslaught on the scheme that
the amount was reluctantly cut TO $1,000
But even this sum is much more than Is
necessary 10 pay the legitimate expenses
OF the legislative session, making the
most eXtravagant allowances for the
varied wants Of a modern statesman. The
Emmltsburg Chronicle has done some
figuring with the idea OF finding out how
much Of this appropriation goes to actual
and necessary expenses and how much
10 political uses. It says:
"AloWing $3.50 for the per diem Of all the
senator's and delegates. So 05 for the per diem
referred to plus the compensation Of the fortyfour
employes, We have remaining S05s5. In our en-
beavers to spend the lump appropriation literally
let US assume. that the lG delegates and the z
senators travel 500 miles and allow each one
mileage at the rate Of 10 cents a mile; we then
md tiat We have spent $500 more. which. being
likewise deducted, leaves S4l95. IT, in addition 70
this. Ee give each senator and delegate 500 worth
Of postage. making Sl2 500 we find after deducting
this amount, that there Is sti ST 3s5 in the treas.
ury. But having desire To keep the Stateh01ss
clean, We viii appropriate Sl6000 for the rurpose
and then find that we viii stiu have left
S5j.S9 to be applied on that miscellaneous ex-
pense account. If We engTOss $1,000 worth of bills
and u would seem that this is about as many as
can coue up during one session, we have a bal,
ance Of 1885 to be placed where it viii do the
mast good
This balance Of $45. 600 or more is frankly
a fund for the promotion Of the political
fortunes of legislators and the mainte-
nance Of the supremacy Of their party.
Probably the real sum actually devoted
70 this purpose is much larger than that
computed by the Emmitsburg Chronicle.
Be that as 1t may. the fact is that the
legislature annually distributes a large
sum of money, to quote the Baltimore
Sun, for encouraging activity In the
Democrats party, giving it away in grs-
tuities 20 politicians who have not earned
1t or performed any public service in
return for IT," All sorts Of political hacks
are given Jobs of various sorts about the
capitol, the cleaning of which, as our
contemporary intimates. costs an extraor-
dinary sum; and the members of the
legislature are. we believe, paid a GER
tain proportion of the slush fund in cash.
Now. the most interesting feature Of this
business is that it is openly defended on
grounds Of public policy or at any rate
Of party policy. 1t was urged by a State
senator OF standing and ability that mas
much as the national government was in
the hands Of the Republican party. which
controlled large amount OF patronage.
the legislature was JUSTIFIED In providing
d fund 20 encourage political activity in
the Democratic party. He saw no wrong
in applying a portion Of the state funds
10 the political expenses Of legislators and
10 the up-keep Of the Democracy. More
over, he pleaded that the practice was
quite ia accord with Mr.. Roosevelt's sug-
gestion that Congress should foot the bills
of national political campaigns. It is this