The Washington times., 1912-05-25
FORMER GOVERNOR
OF MARYLAND DIES
'..AT. NEPHEWS HOME
Austin Lane Crothers, Ma
tive of Cecil County, Vic
tim of Bright's Disease.

EI,ETON. Md. May 25.-Former Gov.
Austin Lane Crothers died at 1920 a. IN.
Mt the honle of his nephew. State Soma
tor Omar. ID. Crothers. after an illness
which developed during the closing DAYS
OF his administration. Brights disease
complicated with leak of the heart
and other ailments, hastened his death
Governor Crothers was born In Cecil
county. May q. 1860, and was inaugu-
rated governor In January, 1858.
The administration of Governor
Crothers was perhaps the most pro-
gressive the state of Maryland ever
had. It was marked by the passage of
an effective corrupt practices act, the
Senatorial primary law, a law Great
Ing a public service commissfon. and
Z a bond issue of ,S5,ooo,0oo for the
administration since the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad was projected and
,Patronized by the state has been as
fruitful for the welfare of all of
Maryland as was that of the late gov
ernor. =,
Governor Crothers went into office in
asos. after having served as prosecuting
Judge in Cecil county. He was, there
fore, excellently equipped for the biz
work ahead of him.
Mr.. Crothers was not largely known
Grated party for governor.
His nomination was forced by a small
group. of political leaders including
United States senator- John Walter
of man they were supporting but the
State as a whole, did not, and 1t was
not until after his Inauguration that
the & real character Of the new govern
fact that shortly after the. State con-
vention Governor, Crothers became Ill
withttyphoid fever. and was unable. to
take an active part in the campaign that
resulted in his election
He, went into the governors mansion
IN the midst of session of the legis-
lature and at once presented a progra m
Of ACTION. This included the corrupt
practices act and the good roads bond
issue. For three months the opposi-
tion to the new governor battled to de-
feat these two almost revolutionary
compelled to surrender. The powerful
logic with which the new and unknown
governor drove home his argument for
provements so aroused public sentiment
throughout the State that 1t would have
been suicidal on the part of the legis-
lature to have further obstructed these
bills.
Governor Crothers never married and
" lived alone in.~the executive mansion
with his nephew and secretary, Emer.
son snr r; ,t Grothers: RS. The governor DEVOTED
land governor had done in a generation
1t was his habit to get up at O'Clock
in the morning. attocd to all matters
which came before him in Annapolis
catch the O'Clock, car for Baltimore
and dispose of all his correspondence al
his city office before the average bust.
ness man reached his office. This left
practically his. entire working day tc
the governor for callers and for con!
: ferences. The result of 1t was that
handled by the executive, rather thar
unloaded upon subordinates or clerks In
his office.
Shortly after he was inaugurated
/. Governor Crothers announced that he
never would be a candidate again for
public office. In doing this he removed
all suspicious of his official acts while
In office. The machine politicians in the
State, finding that he was independent
and asked for nothing more, soon
learned that the governor had no fayors
to offer except such as in his judg-
ment were to the States best interest