Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1910-06-03
AN UNWARRANTED ATTACK.

4 n.
Under this caption our esteemed cor
temporary, The AEgis. published at Bel All
Hartford county. in its last weeks issu
severely criticises State Senator Blair LIE
for his recent interview and asserts tina
the same was IAN unwaranted attack
on the scientific branch of the State High
way Commission. and proceeds to say;
Nor does Mr.. Crosby deserve such de
nunclation, for to use DR.. Clarks expression
IL is Montgomery county against the worll
TO accept Mr.. Lees dicta on road building
Mr. Crosby to-day holds one Of the mos
responsible and most lucrative positions il
the State. How did this Massachusett,
man get such hold in Maryland? Why
away back in Governor Smiths time HI
appointed him road engineer for Baltimore
county because he seemed to be peculiarly
lifted for the place, and his good worl
there made him superintendent of thu
parks OF Baltimore city When the Shoe
maker law was passed he seemed to be
pre-eminently the man for the place Of
chief engineer only to be elected to the
same position when the present law was
enacted. Was il merit then or what comes
under the disgusting term pull that moved
him up step by step as openings occurred
is 1t not an oft repeated illustration
that fools dash in where angels fear tO
tread when men who never held shovel
or welded hammer or looked through a
compass can show just how roads should
be built T.
In other words, because The AEgis hap
pens to be blind worshipper at the shrine
OF certain engineer, imported from Massa-
chusetts to Baltimore county, who also
secured the confidence and esteem Of Mr..
Shoemaker and Drs. Remsen and Clark to
such an extent that the last two named
gentlemen feel free to 60 abroad and leave
Mr.. Shoemaker to dead lock the Roads
Commission of the great State of Mary
land. our esteemed contemporary feels free
to attack distinguished Senator of this
State because, for sooth, he has the eff
frontery to expose this angelic Massachu-
sets importation in his attempt to convey,
through the daily press Of Baltimore city,
the erroneous idea that Senator Lee is at
lacking the State Roads Commission. as a
commission, when he urges that body to
carry out the will of the people as ex-
pressed in legislation, approved by the
Governor, who is himself member of that
commission.
Who is this ignOramus that The 4E,gis
so vigorously assails and what are the facts
on which he bases the assumption Of right
to speak on the subject of State roads
To begin with Senator Lee has sacrificed
more of his time and means to the cause
OF good government during the last sixteen
years and received less in comparison in
personal benefits than any other living
Maryland statesman. He has accomplish
ed more for his State and that without
deals or combinations, upon the merits of
the propositions he has presented, than
any man who has served in the General
Assembly for many years; and, to-day, he
stands out as one man Of ability and in
tegrity against whom the finger Of suspi-
cion has not been and cannot be pointed
So much for the man.
And what is the basis for his activity on
the subject of good roadsH The county
which has twice hOnored him with seat
In the State Senate has built as many, if
not more, miles Of roads under the man
agement Of Mr.. Crosby and the Geological
Survey than any other county in the State;
and, as evidenced by the personal obser-
vations of its citizens, the records of its
Court and County Treasurers Office and
numerous photographs Of the roads them
selves. these roads have been highly I'M
satisfactory both as to cost of construction
and durability. Senator Lee. being man
OF liberal education and broad experience
In practical affairs, has made it his business,
as representative Of this county, to study
the subject Of road building in all of it's
phases. He has not only read reports and
investigations of various States and of the
Government of the United States, but also
has consulted engineers Of the highest
training and standing. Furthermore, at
his own expense. he has caused private
surveys to be made and convinced himself
and many others in respect to where the
defects are in the Crosby methods. Having
voted for the State Roads law of 1908 and
his county being vitality interested in it,
he was naturally anxious that the mistakes
of the Shoemaker system should not be
extended to the administration Of the
State Roads law. Therefore. he sought
and obtained hearing from this Commits
sion, before a single mile of State road
was built, after being advised that Mr..
Crosby was favoring the same plan of con-
struction for State as he had adopted for
the Shoemaker roads. On that occasion,
the breadth Of intellect, wealth Of knowl-
edge and purity Of heart" of the Shoemaker
road group was illustrated by an objection
by DR.. Remsen to any criticism being made
Of the Shoemaker roads before the State
Roads Commission, at a time when II was
on the eve of adopting bodily the Shoe
maker road specifications and forms Of
contract in the very face of the failures
which had been experienced in Monteom-
cry and other counties.
AhC fANt vi AOOo gave tllib oO-CdutO
scientific group such power that il succeeded
thereafter in checkmatine any improve
ments to the Shoemaker system during tn,
first two years Of the administration Of IN,
State Roads law. With the support o.
Governor Crothers, Chairman Tucker anc
Commissioner Hutton, the matter wal
fought out by Senator Lee in the Leeisla
ture, with the result that a vote of lack o
confidence was passed and the Shoemake
and the State Roads laws were amended
The General Assembly of Maryland, IL
the opinion Of The 4Egis, in following Sena
tor Lee may have been under the guidanc
Of demaeogue and ignoramus. but tn
great mass Of the people Of this count,
and State do not think so.
The people resent the waste involved i
the idea. favored by Messrs. Shoemake