The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-02-24
MUCH WORK AHEAD
FOR THE LEGISLATURE
Action Awaiting Bills After the Pie
Is Passed.

All OF the Governor appointments
must be in by today. The Constitution
gives him so days in which to make his
selections, and the time limit expires on
February "a. The Senate, however,
need not act on any until prepared to
do so. AS a rule, the Committee on
Executive Nominations delays a report
until near the close of the session and
then confirms in bulk. A senator may
at any time call on the committee to
produce the civil list for his county, and
his request is always complied with, but
he prefers to have them held back so
that in event of strong kick he may
find it conducive to his political health
to suggest a change This explains
why these lists slumber so long in the
committee, which rarely meets, makes
no investigation and simply obeys or
ders. Senators, as rule. get what
they want, that is to say, in the way of
minor appointment is, for if these do not
suit senatorial courtesy would enable
the objectors.to have them rejected.
1t was to prevent the Governor from
dealing with the view to gaining votes
for his pet measures that all legislation
has been tied up. and no bill of impor-
lance been reported back to either
house. After today the appointments
will all have been made, and then the
decks will be cleared for action. Dur
ing the five weeks following the sessions
will be longer and more frequent A
large number of important measures,
all OF which may be expected to provoke
extended debate, are to be disposed of,
and unless these are showed through
during the closing hours they will die on
the files.
Owing to the many business PROPOSE
lions demanding consideration, little is
heard of the proposed political legisla
ton. Even the constitutional amend
ments are lost sight of for the time
being, while absolutely no interest
whatever is manifested in the Primary
Election Bill. All talk about pressure
being brought to bear on Legislators TO
pass direct primary law is rot There
is no sentiment, no demand and not the
slightest indication that it is desired in
the counties. The people know that
with such general election law as now
disgraces the Maryland statutes, with
the frauds that are practiced by the
administration officials and tolerated by
the Executive himself, no expression Of
opinion is obtainable and until the sys-
TEN is changed from top to bottom all
talk Of improving the primary law is
buncombe.
Chairman Hanna, of the Republican
Committee, exposed the nsincerity of
the Governor, who, while crying aloud
tor primary election law which would
enable the people to make their own Sc
lections, nullfied the result of an cleo
ton in Howard county by recognizing
defeated and a very small minority
when he appointed the supervisor Of
election. The governing body of the
Republican party has no official knowl
edge of the existence of the elf-ap
pointed committee which sent in the
names and which owes its existence to
the Democratic machine in the county,
Without Democratic aid it would have
no standing whatever for it was thrown
out by the state convention ana refused
admission by the State Central Com
mittee. When, therefore, the Cover
nor, knowing these facts, refused to
recognize the accredited committee Of
the county, he did not comply with the
law. and Chairman Hanna's contention
that he does not practice what he
breaches is sustained by the facts.
The Republicans want fair primary
law and will readily vote any bill
whether it be the Governor $, Blair
Lees or Murray Vandiver's provided
they are given square deal. When,
therefore, this dill is considered, or
rather, if it ever comes out of commit
tee, the Republicans will offer rider
repeating the Wilson ballot law. il
this is accepted they will vote for the
bill, if refused they will vote against it.
The Attorney General has not been
paying much attention to his election
contrivances of late. His time is taken
up with explanation of the public util-
ties measure he drafted and which is
exciting more opposition as the drastic
provisions are exposed. There are not
dozen members in the House nor halt
dozen senators who would accept the
bill in the form in which it has been
presented, and if it ever gets through
it will be so changed that it's author
will not recognize his handiwork.
The equal suffrage movement is at
tracing far more attention than either
of these measures and is gaining
strength daily. Members of the legis-
lature were so impressed by the argu-
ments advanced by its advocates at the
meeting in Annapolis last week that If
a vote had been taken then and there
the bill would have received more votes