The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-01-08

situation while this Constitutional
amendment to be voted on next
fall, extends this plan to stop vote
buying to general elections. l con-
slider this the most advanced and
effective provision ever proposed
to prevent bribery and corrupt prac-
tees.
Senator Lee, from the beginning
of his Legislative career, set his
face against lobby control at An
napolis. He initiated the movement
for the printing of local bills, where
the lobby often got in its fine work
without the knowledge of the pub
lie or even of the members them
selves.
Though not the author of the
measure, he stood at the forefront
of the fight for Public Utilities
bill, and it was his cool head and
fearless course at a critical juno
ture which forced its passage. This
| largely removed from the Legisla-
| ture matters of corporate regula-
| ton and struck body blow at the
| lobby.
"By his own bill, in the session
of 1912, he put teeth in the Uhli-
ties law by compelling the assign
ment of peoples counsel to defend
the public interests and to give to
the consumers the use of the COM
missions experts and facilities.
1.-THE full publicity intended for
these Investigations of rates and
service could not be had without
Lees amendment. 1t made possible
a. gas investigation, which will en-
able the commission to make the
law effective.
1.-The ramifications of the lobby
led into the very organization OF
the Legislature itself.
GA fruitless source of Irregular
| ty and graft was the use of public
funds as salaries to employees and
purported employees, whose names
never reached the light of day and
whose appointments were made by
star-chamber methods, without the
knowledge of the public or the
members of the General Assembly
as to who were appointed and what,
If any, services were rendered to
the State.
Senator Lee earnestly supported,
from its inception, the movement to
destroy this evil by substituting a
roll open to daily public inspection
and the publication in the Comp
troller's report of the names and
addresses of the employees, the
amount of money they received and
the duration of their services. This
definitely fixed the responsibility
for the appointment of every man
and enabled the members them
selves, the press and the public to
know exactly who was being ap-
pointed, their affiliations and the
services required of them.
'.In State as well as national af-
fairs Senator Lee has consistently
stood against special privileges OF
every kind.
"The distinguishing features OF
Senator Lees career as a public
man are his devotion to public du-
:. ty, irrespective of the effect upon
his personal Advancement; his
willingness at all times to go down
to defeat, if necessary, for a princi-
pal in which he believes, and his
refuAl to enter into deals and en-
dangling political alliances to secure
preferment Evidently he never
thinks of himself
"But Southern pride and generosi
ty will not forget that he bears the
name and, in generosity and honor,
sustains the character of the great
est recent examplar of Southern vir-
tues. There is room now for his
selection to high public service.
believe the party, when it fully
considers his relations to its State
and national welfare, will agree on
his selection