The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1910-03-18
THE BUSY DAYS WILL BE The LAST
TWO WEEKS.
Republicans Trying 10 Prevent Dem
OCFatS from Carrying out Cam
paign Pledges.
Democrats Fear Baltimore Sun Not
Friendly to Democratic Party.
State House Annapolis,

Assembly has opened and all the i'm
portant legislature is still in the hands
OF the several committees, although
several of the bills of greatest mo-
ment may be reported before the END
of the present week.
The outlook, however, IL that, ac-
cording to the time hOnored prece-
dents OF several questions, very
large proportion of the work viii De
crowded into the last two or three
weeks, and the usual rush Will take
place in the last days, prior to the
general adjournment on April 4th-
ut was SO, it is so, and 1t probably
always will be SOL i'm this, al I'D al
other legislative bodies. 1t is the
fault of the system if ii il fault.
Some people contend that It IS not
really a fault and that legislation IL
better considered when it has been be-
fore the lawmakers several weeks, as
i'm such cases the members have more
opportunity and time to find out what
the people really want done In other
words, bills that are before the public
for several weeks are discussed at
full length, while if passed in hurry
they are not considered until it il too
i'm them until the next session.
But in these last weeks of the ses-
ion y new issue has been injected
which bids fair to overshadow, and
Dossiblv eclipse, all other issues con-
sidered i'm the campaign last year and
in the past six weeks Of the session
The new issue il the question Of the
repealo Of the legislation giving the Con-
+r-ia TnrqnnnU
a complete monopoly in its line in
Baltimore and the surrounding SUD-
urban regions. This legislation con-
sists of several acts passed at different
sessions since 1886, when the actual
existing monopoly was legal1Zed ana
protected from competition for the
first time, the subsequent acts up to,
and including those Of 1908, simply
including and confirming what had
been done at prior sessions. At the
time these several acts were passed
there was no opposition to them but
rather were they supported by the
municipal authorities and the press
generally as no more than a legaliza-
ton of necessary monopoly, or what
is usually called a natural monopoly
by all writer's on such subjects. And
why this old question has been re-
opened and forced on the General AS
sembly in such way as to become
the dorminent or predominant issue,
is a puzzle to many impartial, and Us
ually bright thinking people. Why
should all other matters of general
public interest to the people Of the
entire state be subordinated to this
one question, which really affects only
the people of Baltimore and vicinity
and why should the important meas
ures promised in the platforms of
both the great political parties be
showed aside for these purely local
interests at this late day in the ses-
sion ? These are questions asked by
many people and they are variously
answered.
The one real answer il that
these questions have been brought for
ward by the great newspapers of
Maryland which is subordinating
everything else to them for the eX-
press purpose of relieving the people
of what they call an odious and op-
pressive monopoly. In a few words
that il the substance OF the answer
given to the question as to why all
this tumult Is raised over matter
that was considered settled twenty-four
years ago, and is sufficient excuse
for side tracking or ObScuring all
other measures now before the Gener-
al Assembly Whether they may be
political, financial, or local in their
character. Many people however hold
the opinion that there are other rea-
sons for this sudden outbreak, not a
few of whom do not hesitate to say
that 1t IL nc more than a contest be-
tween certain prominent financiers of
Baltimore for supremacy In that city.
To other words, that it il a contest of
one faction to drive out Of business
the men now i'm control of the CONSOLE
dated Gas and Electric Company, and
to enable them to gain control of
that important enterprise themselves
that jealousy il the prime mover in
the whole affair
Some of the leading Democrats here
are however beginning to take an en-
tirely different view OF the situation.
The realize that the fulfillment of the
campaign pledges made last fall Is an
important matter, and that the Re-
publicans and their allies are doing all
they can to prevent the General As
sembly from carrying out those
pledges That with the large Demo-
cratic majority in both houses the
responsibility cannot be shifted or
divided, and that any delay now may
b. fatal to definite and wise actions
They look with suspicion on this sud
den outbreak i'm favor OF drastic act
ion in regard to the gas company
knowing full well that that corpora
ton will resist to its utmost and that
nothing may In the end be done To-
wards the redemption of the party
pledges. They are also beginning To
realize. and this fact il slowly dawn
ing on Democrats generally that the
Baltimore Sun il no longer under the
control Of the old, friendly, and time
hOnored Abel family, often critical
Of the Democratic party in the State
and Nation, not always Al loyal w
that party as the people desiring, but
generally to be relied upon To support
the white people of Maryland i'm their
efforts to retain control OF public af-
fairs i'm both City and State Not
withstanding its occasional vagaries
in party sense, the Sun has almost
always, since its foundation in 1887,
nearly three-quarters of "a century
ago, been found sustaining the princi-
pals on which are found the supremacy
of the white people of the South Now,
in the third generation OF the family
of its founder, it has passed into the
control of men hostile To the Demo
cratic party a. well a. it, principles
For a newspaper largely controlled
and owned by such well known Repub-
Iicans as Robert Garrett, H. Crawford
Black, Van Lear Black and the former
Ambassador to France, Henry White,
will not often. if III ever H.. he found