Evening star., 1909-07-01
NEWC0MB DEFINES POSITION
CANDIDATE FOR STATE SENA-
TOR WRITES OPEN LETTER.
Calls on Blair Lee. His Opponent, for
IAN Equally Clear and Dis
tinct Statement"

Harry r. Newcomb of Bethesda, candi-
date for the democratic nomination for
state senator from Montgomery county,
Md, has written an open letter to his
opponent. Blair Lee, the present state
senator. Mr.. Newcomb defines his posi-
ton on the issues presented to the demo-
cratic voters of Montgomery county and
asks for IAN equally clear and distinct
statement" of views from Senator Lee. so
as to remove all danger OF serious mis-
understanding as to our respective prin-
cipes'
That the tax rate of Montgomery
county has been greatly increased since
Mr. Lee was elected state senator is
the first charge made by Mr.. Newcomb.
who says that the increase in taxes could
have been prevented by efficient and
economical control of county affairs. This
loss. he claims. is due to extravagant and
wasteful methods of conducting county
business, and that it can and ought to be
abolished. The average county levy dur
ing the years in which former Senator
Jones was in office says the letter. was
S119,6S2, and OF the three completed
wears of Senator Lees term S135, 469. ~,
or 81 .13 for every 81 raised under Senator
Jones.
Waste in County Affairs.
After. speaking of the extravaganza and
waste in county affairs, Mr.. Newcomb
takes up the subject of Mr.. Hilton's
many Offices declaring that in his
opinion it is wrong for any one person to
hold the two offices of county treasurer
and clerk to the county commissioners
and that the abuse Is even greater when
= sc alo< oh, on, n
state central committee Of the dominant
party in the county. Mr.. Newcomb says
that the power of these offices should be
a check one upon the other, but that at
present there is no check at all. He says
that MI Hilton has had Senator Lee S
aid in maintaining this situation, and that
if elected senator he (Mr. Newcomb) will
separate the offices.
Senator Lee is accused in the letter of
refusing to introduce bill making the
/ am made SENATOR Mr.. Newcomb says.
Il shall introduce a bill providing for
this reform and urge Its immediate en-
actment.
Better Roads at Lower Cost.
Speaking of better roads at lower cost
MIR. Newcomb says: Il believe that the
Shoemaker road law ought to be amended
In such way as to preserve state aid,
methods of construction. / believe that
roads built at state cost ought to be
located in accordance with the wishes OF
the citizens of the county and to suit
local needs and conditions. | believe that
there should be business-like and non
political local management of construc-
ton, location, repairs and maintenance of
roads and that in substantially all cases
local stone of proper quality ana In
ample quantity can be found and used
with economy and that such local stone
ought to be used"
."The school system of this county, he
says. fought to be wholly free from
politics and political influence or any
kind. One of your first acts as state SEM
ator was to introduce a bill 10 increase
the number of members of the school
board, and you secured its prompt pass
age. The effect. if not the purpose, of
this law was to give your close personal
and political associates complete control
make your personal representative. Mr.
George H. Lamar, president of the board.
Reduction of School Board.
1T is not necessary to relate or to char
acterize what has followed, for the facts
are known to every democrat in the
county If / becomme state senator
shall urge the passage of law reducing
the school board to the former number
of members, and shall endeavor in every
possible way to remove every vestige of
political control of school affairs
Making a plea for rotation in ONCE. the
letter continues:
.'For much more than a generation. in
fact since the civil war. no senator from
Montgomery county has been given sec
ond term. You are asking, my dear Sen
ator Lee "a distinction which those of
whom you are asking it never conferred
that they specifically denied to their
faithful, efficient, wise and worthy state
senator's, Messrs. Peter, Wootton, Bouic
and Jones. / believe that this single-term
rule is wise and that the rotation in Of
flee for which it provides Is desirable and
necessary to good government. Four
years ago, when you were for the first
time a candidate at the primaries for the
Office you now hold, you also. as l recol-
lect, believed in this rule. and you then
urged. with some vigor of language. that
it be enforced in your favor. Indeed, /
have been told that You publicly pledged
yourself not to become a candidate for
second term.
Single-Term Rule Important.
This single-term rule as to the sena-
torship is of such Importance as to ap-
proach to the validity of an article of
democratic faith in this country. Ger
tainly you have not brushed it aside
lightly and l trust that you will not be
reluctant or slow in accepting my sug-
gestion that you make known to the
democratic voters of the county the
weighty reasons which have convinced
you that the rule is unsound If that is
your present opinion, or that it ought not
to be applied in your own case if you
regard the latter as SO exceptional as to
necessitate departure from the ordinary
rule.
Il believe in the one term rule now and
/ shall believe in it four years from now.
If | am elected senator | shall vacate the
Office a the end of the term. and there
are no possible circumstances under
which ! would become candidate for
a second term