The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1912-05-31

Governor Crothers was born at the old
Porter homestead, near Rock Springs,
Cecil county. on the nth day Of May.
1860. being the eighth son of Alpheus
and Margaret A. Crothers.
As a youth he attended the public
schools, and afterward was student at
West Nottingham Academy, conducted by
Rev. Dr. Samuel Gayley, and received
INSTRUCTION under a private tutor. For
two years after he left school he was en-
gagged in the mercantile business at Como
wingo. He then taught in the public
schools, and later on began the reading of
law under his brother. the late Senator
Charles c. Crothers, who was candidate
for attorney general in 1895. He also at
tended the law department of the Mary
land University, Baltimore. and was ad-
mitted to the Cecil bar in 1887. In 1891
he was elected states attorney for Cecil
county over Robert C. Thackery, Repub-
lican, by more than 400 majority. He
also served as counsel for the county COM
missioners.
In 1897 Mr.. Crothers was elected to the
state Senate and in 1900 was appointed
chairman of the Finance Committee of
that body, this position making him his
party leader in the Senate.
In 1901 Mr.. Crothers was unanimously
renominated for the Senate by Cecil
county Democrats. and was defeated by
Mr.. Henry M. Mccullough. Although
defeated for the Senate. Mr.. Crothers con-
tinued to be the county leader of his
party. In 1905 he was again nominated
for the Senate and was defeated by DIR.
France, Republican.
While the legislature was in session in
1906 Judge Edwin H. Brown died. and
Governor War6eld appointed Mr.. Croth-
ers as judge to succeed him. He served
as Judge in the Second Circuit for more
than year. He was generally regarded
as candidate for denomination, but
month before the primaries he surprised
his friends by declaring that he would not
accept denomination.
In August, 1907, he was nominated by
the Democratic party for Governor of
Maryland, and in November was elected
by more than 5000 plurality. During his
|incumbency as Chief Executive he gained
the reputation of always being ION the
job"
Without single business or social
interest outside. he gave his whole time
to it. After he got the appointments out
of the way in 1908 he started out to be
governor. He had ideas and plans and
he had policy. He Consulted" about
places. but he did not Consult" or
submit" about anything else. and credit
will be given him for being his own man
as governor. No chief executive Of the
State of Maryland has been instrumental
in the enactment of as much progressive
Legislation as was Governor Crothers.
AT the legislature of Ioos-his first ses-
sion-thre measures of great importance
to the state became laws through his In
fluence. One Of these was the Corrupt
Practices act He fathered and put
through the $5.ooo,ooo loan for good
roads. which was increased at the next
session by $I.ooo,ooo 1t was the Gov
ernor who put through bill at this
session doubling the collateral inheri-
tance tax, thus adding several hundred
thousand Of dollars tothe revenues of the
state.
He vetoed items aggregating nearly
$500. 900 in the Omnibus Appropriation
Bill, saving just that much of the peoples
money. And in doing SO he did not
cripple single institution.
He organized governors cabinet and
required state officials and boards to make
quarterly instead of biennial reports.
He came out for direct nomination of
the Oregon plan of electing United States
senator's, and public utilities law. He
found nearly every important party
leader against him on these propositions,
but despite their opposition succeeded in
forcing their adoption. The Governor
conceived the idea that the best policy for
his party was to meet and adopt q live
issue when it was seen coming, and not to
wait unlil it was forced down its throat
and it could gain no credit therefrom, and
It was this progessiveness that won him
the popularity of the people and made
him feared by the politicians.
Governor Crothers' memory will long
survive. AS Governor he will be ASSOCIATE
ed with the most important laws of his
period and to him will be awarded credit
for having placed these laws on the statute
books. In addition to those mentioned
above other important laws he succeeded
in have enacted were:
Public service commission.
Pure food laws.
Better care of INDECENT insane.
Promotion of agricultural interests.
Promotion of oyster culture.
Doubling the collateral inheritance tax.