The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1914-02-19
SENATOR SPE|CHER AN
EXTREMELY HAPPY MAN
His Countrywide Bill Safely Through
Committee and Virtually Law.
Annapolis. Md. February IS.

AnnaponS, Mo-, FEBRUARY Is.
Senator Harvey ]. Speicher is the
happiest man in Annapolis today. After
weeks of pulling, fighting and maneuver-
ing his Garrett County Local Option
bill is practically law as far as all
purposes and interests are concerned
The bill has safely reached the third
reading file in the house and its final
passage and signature by the Governor
are conceded even by the bills bItterest
opponents. And the trick was turned
without single fight or debate on the
floor of either branch of the Assembly
But the result was not obtained without
struggle. Seldom has there been
more pressure brought to bear in An
napolis on single county's Legislation
than was used in this local option fight
and the credit for ultimate success be-
longs almost wholly to the Garrett
Senator.
For weeks the latter, like an alert
watchdog, has followed the progress of
his bill, which incidentally was the first
measure introduced IN the Senate dur
ing the present session. Whenever a
rough corner of opposition was en-
countered Speicher was on the job to
smooth out the trouble and he has
finally received his reward. Personal
pleas, pressure from high sources and
even a bit of politics were necessary to
finally put the bill over. The trick was
finally accomplished yesterday afternoon
when the House Temperance Committee
brought in favorable report on the
bill. The stage settings had previously
been arranged and though the opposi-
ton was still apparent no attack or at
! tempt to amend the bill was made be-
cause.its opponents realized that they
had a majority of the votes in the
House against them. Senator Specher
was in the chamber when the report
was read and he breathed a sigh of
relief when the Speaker announced that
the House accepted the report and that
the bill should be printed for it's third
reading and final passage.
My, that's load off my shoulders, p"
he sighed, happy grin spreading over
his face. '1'll have a good night S
rest tonight and | believe III deserve
it." Several friends of the Garrett
countian who were nearby hurried to
his side to congratulate him.
So quietly did the bill go through
that uninitiated would believe that not
an iota of opposition existed towards
its passage but such was not the case.
Earlier in the day Senator Speicher and
the Garrett House delegation had ap-
peared before the Temperance Com
mittee to urge favorable report. In
opposition to them two residents of
Oakland made vigorous speeches for
an unfavorable report. Speicher acted
as the spokesman for friends of the
bill and he made telling argument.
Within a half hour after the hearing
a report went out that the committee
would offer a favorable report. And
still the opponents of the bill did not
give up hope.
Members of the House of both
political parties were appealed to fight
against the favorable report but the
pleas were unavailing. A mysterious
but strong influence has been at work
earlier in the day in anticipation of the
of the report and though many of the
lawmakers expressed their sympathy
and their personal views against the
bill none seemed willing to make the
| fight to override the committee report.
The apparent probability of lack of
organized opposition did not cause
Speicher to let up for single minute.
Clear up to the time the report was
made he campaigned for the bill And
the results were an acceptance of the
favorable report by unanimous vote
Though he tasted defeat there is one
opponent of the bill who fought good
fight. He is William Miller, the Gar
rett distiller For weeks he has haunt
ed the corridors of the Statehouse,
buttonholing the legislators and point
ing out to them the drastic fe atures of
the Speicher bill. He worked faithfully,
tirelessly and not until convinced that a
majority of the House were against
him did he give up the fight. Many of
Mr.. Miller's personal friends were
among these he counted on for support
but as had been stated before strong
er influence had been at work and none
of these men would show their friend
ship to the extent of "bucking'' the
committees report. The committee
itself, or at least majority of its
members, are believed at heart to be
against the local option Legislation, but
Speicher by his maneuvering had
brought the Garrett House members
together as unit and the latter united
with him in appealing for the bill.
Hence the committee in making an I'M
favorable report would have been COM
PEELED to ignore the wishes of the solid
county representation.
While the fight has been a bitter one
it was fought without personal feeling
or animus. Both Speicher and Miller
of the opposition, fought in the open,
each grasping support where he could,