The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-10-06
TIME TO CHECK CROTHERS.

| am the state. says Governor Gro
theirs, in effect. | have been insulted,
the state has been insulted, and, there
fore, all the powers of the state may be
invoked against the Police Commission
ers. This kind of executive interpreta-
ton is new to this city, although it is as
old as despotism. The actual issue is
too trivial to warrant the amount of
turmoil it has created. Sifted down, it
is merely a personal grievance of the
Governor against the Police Board. He
wanted its members to take action for
the retirement of certain police officials.
They, in pursuance of their sworn obi
cation to discharge their duty accord
ing to their intelligence and conscience.
declined. Hence the Governor has
taken preliminary steps to call out the
state troops: Were the subject not so
serious the very buffoonery ofiit would
make it a theme for one of the merriest
comic operas ever staged. The situa-
ton created by Governor Crothers arose
from the fact that the members of the
Police Board would not bend to his will,
but held in first regard their obligation
to the people of Baltimore, and were
determined not to still further strength
en- the odious state rule over the Balti-
more police force. They are, therefore,
declared to be in a state of instruction
and objects worthy of the most sum
mary treatment by the Governor.
The members of the Police Board,
acting upon advice of counsel. placed a
police guard at the doors of their offices
to prevent the records being seized by
the Governor, or the entrance of other
persons into positions they had been adj
viseI We're not legally vacated or even
temporarily forfeited. This appeared
to be the only way to get the contention
before the courts, where its belongs.
Governor Crothers is noted as saying
that the courts have no cOgnizance of
the matter. Some one would do a
friendly act for the Governor If he
would tell him that he is riding a horse
bit higher than the American people
ever allow public servant to bestride,
when he declares there is no power of
appeal from his acts. This kind of
twaddle is but cheap buncombe The
people are protected from usurpation Of
authority by the courts. They have
every right to have any case affecting
the public welfare adjudicated. The
judiciary is a coordinate function with
the executive. 1t runs with the eXecu-
tive office. Those who advise Governor
Crothers differently advised him against
law, against reason and against public
peace. There is not an act of any pub
lie official for which there is not, speci-
fed or implied in conditions Of the tenure
Of the Office, ample provision for re-
view by the courts. The Governor is
assuming untenable ground and he will
find that any act Of arbitrary defiance
of the adjudicatory power Of the courts
will be regarded as little short of insur-
rection- the word he uses with regard
to the Police Board against the highest
prerogative in the state, the viii Of the
people. as assured by the courts. The
right way to settle the dispute, for
which the Governor is alone responsible,
is through the courts The Governor
under the Constitution has no power to
suspend from office civil officers without
or before a trial or hearing,
The State Of Maryland is dlsgraced
by tin-whIstle squabble because the
Governor has assumed the attitude of
doing the thing he is bent on doing in
the wrong way. The spectacle of mill
tia being called out to arbitrate by force
dissensions between public officials has
disgraced some of the Southern states,
but Maryland does not belong to the list
of states that turn to rifle rule. The
calling out of the state militia in sup
port of his mandate with regard to the
Police Board will be taken as a most
Ominous sign of the trend of the present
administration of the state 1t will
furnish full justification for all that has
been alleged as to the Interior designs
of Mr., Crothers. 1t will bring the is
sue squarely to the people whether they
are willing to have it avowed that the
reign of law has fallen down in Mary
land.
Governor Crothers is creating an ex-
tremely serious situation by even rails
ing the question of state enforcement
of his personal position, and he will do
well to ponder precedents that have