The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1912-03-14

sent to the House.
q Senator Spelcher's bill ratifying the
the charter of the Youghiogheny Power
Company passed the Senate Friday, as
did also his bill Incorporating the Gar
rett County Railway Company, the
later being amended in one or two minor
details.
Speaker Trippe's bill placing the mat
ter of hotel rates for Baltimore City
during the Democratic. National conven-
ton in the jurisdiction of the Public
Service Commission was unfavorably
reported and the report was adopted.
A bill to incorporate the town of
Barton, by submitting the proposition
to the voters within the proposed city
limits has been introduced in the House
by Delegate DuckwOrth, of Allegany
county. The bill will give them the
right to vote every year to and includ-
ing 1914, unless 1t shall carry before
that time.
Senator Speicher's wife and five sons
have been in Annapolis the past week,
and the sons created considerable inter-
est and attracted no little attention
from the members of the General As
sembly. The boys, who range from six
to fourteen years of age, are fine,
healthy chaps and their manly deport-
ment and pleasant address have won
them friends among all the Senators
and members, with whom the father is
also extremely popular. Mrs. Speicher
is lady of culture and was accorded
every attention and courtesy during
their visits to the State House. They
called on the Governor and We're cor
daily received. In the Senate Friday
night Senator Duke, of Calvert county,
introduced the following order:
by the Senate of Maryland:
WHEREAS, Senator Speicher, of Gar
rett county, has introduced to the Sem
ate today his wife and five sons; there
fore, be it
Resolved, That a group photograph
of the family be taken and sent to
Teddy Roosevelt to show that race
suicide does not exist in Garrett county,
Maryland.
The order was adopted
Reading Clerk Wolfe, of the House,
after shaking hands with each of the
young gentlemen, remarked that Gar
rett county will never go Democratic
now"
Delegate Weimer's Local Option Bill
for Garrett county is still in the hands
of the Temperance Committee, and will
probably be reported soon after the
Anti-Saloon League bill shall have been
disposed of. The Statewide bill will
be reported out on the 18th, and it will
take precedence over any and all legis
lation until final action has been taken.
Mr. Weimer's bill, being local meas
ure, will not be reported before the
Statewide bill but it is expected it will
follow soon thereafter.
The Local Option bill. which will be
reported unfavorably by the Temperance
committee in the House on Tuesday,
March 18th, will be the feature of the
session so far as now appears by the
calendar. The sentiment in the House
seems to have changed, so far as public
expressions are concerned, but there is
the silent, unrecorded sentiment which
both sides are irving to sound, and
and which keeps them guessing, how
ever confident they may appear to be
in talking for publication. This silent
sentiment, if thrown either way, would
decide the fate of the bill, and both the
friends and opponents of the measure
know this. That is why they are so
persistent in their efforts to secure ex-
pressions from those who have so far
declined to commit themselves Because
of the reasonable and logical eXplana-
ton that can be given for so voting, it
is believed majority of this neutral
vote will finally be recorded for the
passage of the bill. 1t can be said in
meeting any criticism that..may be made
for the voting for the bill by the con-
stituents, that 1t were better to vote
to put the question of local option up
to the people than to presume to decide
so great question for them. 1t is con-
coded by the opponents of the bill that
those who vote to put the proposition
up to the voters in general have the
best end of the controversy, and there
is really less objection to this than those
who openly favor the matter of local
option. In all arguments against the
measure the opponents have not at
tempted to question the tenability of
the position assumed to submit it to a
vote, but have invariably argued that
the evils resultant upon the decision of
the people against the saloon will be so
great that the legislators will be iusti-
fed in the voting to prevent the people
of the state from getting the opportun-
ity to vote on it. This has been one of
the weak points in the case of the local
option opponents, and has done more to
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