The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1912-11-14
DEADLOCK OVER STATE AUDITOR.
Board of Public Works Cannot Agree
Upon Successor to O'nalley.

Upon Successor to O'nalley.
Prospects of the two Democrats on
the Board of Public Works getting to-
gether long enough to fill the offices of
state Auditor and Deputy Auditor seem
more remote even than they were be-
fore the election. The sight of many
Federal places in the near future is in
clined to make the warning Democratic
factions more insistent about this place
rather than less so.
A meeting of the Board of Public
Works has been called by Governor
Goldsborough for November Is. For
months and months this board has side
stepped the filling of this important Of
fee simply because State Treasurer
Murray Vandiver and State Comptroller
Emerson C. Harrington cannot agree
upon the man. While the office is va
cant the State is employing private
firms to do some of the work that ought
to be done by the State Auditor, an Off
cial whose duties and responsibilities
were largely increased by the last Leg
islature.
When the question was first taken up
by thelBoard of Public Works John F.
O'Malley of Howard county was chosen
to the position of Auditor by the votes
of Messrs nnVandiver and Harrington.
This was because it was conceded that
ArthursP. German, the defeated candi
date for Governor, should be given con-
sideration, and especially as he had
failed to name the State Insurance
Commissioner, the first place filled by
the Board after the Governorship went
to the Republicans For this place, one
of the,sgreatest Importance, German
wanted O'Malley named. Harrington
would not agree to this, and so the place
wentsto w. Mason Shehan, Vandiver
yielding to Harrington.
As a concession to German, who did
not like this decision, it was agreed, so
political gossip goes, that German
1llOOoC tIlC DIdlC AuuIGOI llC dlu
by naming O'Malley, who was elected,
as has been told.
But O'Malley, feeling confident in his
position, did not swear in within the
legal limit of thirty days after his cleo
ton. When he went to swear in later
Governor Goldsborough refused to ad-
minister the oath. Then, when the
question came up again in the Board of
Public Works Comptroller Harrington
had experienced a change of view as to
the wisdom of voting for o 'Malley and
stood by his guns. He is still standing
there.
Meanwhile, Mr. O'Malley, who was
ousted from State office by the coming
in of the Republican State administra-
ton, secured good employment with
mercantile concern and since then all eff
fort to get the Board of Public Works
to fill the State Auditors place have
proved futile, chiefly because Treasurer
Vandiver refuses to bulge from O'Mal-
ley.
General Vandiver is one of the last
survivors of what is known as the Old
Guard in.Democratc politics in Mary
land. He owes all he ever had politi-
cally to Arthur P. German, Sr. His
fidelity to the senior German he has
transferred to the son. So that he is
nowlunWiling to vote for any man for
State Auditor unless he gets the word
from young German. The latter has
failed to send any word for any man ex
cept O'Malley With no word Vandiver
stands still
But Harrington is a slayer. He is
credited.with willingness to vote for any
suitable man that German puts up eX-
cept O Malley, against whom the Comp
troller has political objection
The possibility is that. to break the
deadlock, Governor Goldsborough and
the Comptroller may vote for the same
man. If they do will re a political
miracle