The citizen., 1914-02-20
ANNAPOLIS LETTER.

I Unless some action IS taken bv the
/ Legislature this year every State Depart
meni and board will pass under Republi-
/ can control While il Is true that Gov
/ eruor Goidsb0rough and his friends have
already gotten control Of most of the
State Departments and institutions.
I there are few which during the past
; two wears have renamed under Demo
/ cratic control The most prominent OF
those now under Democratic manage
uieut are the Maryland Penitentizrv and
/ the House OF Correction and also several
State hospitals. Governor Goldsbor-
Ough vii be called upon 10 make Z num-
/ Der OF appointments for these institutions
T during this present SESSION OF the I.egis-
! laiure and should his appoin;ees be con.
/ firmed. then all OF these institutions will
/ be mauug-d bv the Republicans. There
I IS no doubt that should The Republicans
( get Inc control OF the MARYLAND Peniien-
I tiary and the House Of Correction they
/ would make sweeping changes among
( the many employees IN each Not only
would new Superiniendenis be chosen.
Z but there would be wholesale changes
! among the guards and attendants Many
I Democrats believe thar strong steps
/ should De- taken by The Legislature 10
prevent these institutions from passing
I into the hands Of the Republicans. some
are suggesting that the Legislature refuse
Z 10 act upon iHe appointments made On
/ these various boards by Governor Colds
I borough. simply allowing his appoint
/ ments TO die in the committees. Should
j This course be followed then the present
i Democratic directors would serve for the
next two years and the several boards
/ will remain in the hands OF the Demo
/ OcTats.
Il mas developed at Annapolis that
/ number o. county Senators and Delegates
/ are ANXIOUS for the Legislature TO adoDt
some plan by which the county school
systems viii be returned 10 Democratic
control Two years ago the Legislature.
although Democratic, allowed Governor
/ GodsoOrough 10 get control Of the
I county school systems through the ap-
/ p0iH,ment OF Republican School Com
/ missioners. Some OF the county people
I claim that a result OF this Republican
/ control the county school systems have
/ in a number Of instances gone backward
/ instead of forward. They believe tina,
/ the county school systems are better in
/ the hands OF Democrats than ReDubi-
! cans. and for this reason they would be
I pleased 10 see some legislation passed
/ by which al OF the coulty school boards
/ could be controlled BY a Democratic ma
/ ioriiy. Most OF the county Senators and
! Delegares. who are n favor Of such a
! plan. believe that The Legislature should
/ pass bill bg which Il shall elect Safe
/ Board Of Education and that il shall then
| empower the State Board 10 select ,he
| County School Commissioners. A sim
/ liar project was launched Al me Legisla-
4 iure OF 1912. but /, did not muster
enough support 10 win- Many Of the
county Senators and Delegates ira xiv
| say that u Baltimore City'S vote in the
/ Legislature would unite with them they
would in return cheerlully line up behind
| the Home Rule Bills for Baltimore CITY.
! The possibilities are that a conference OF
| Democrats will be held next week when
! the school board situation will be dis
cussed and some definite action taken.
When the bill empowering the Mavor
| Of Baltimore TO appoint the Liquor Ii
| cense Commissioners was introduced in
! the Legislature last week considerable
/ comment was made because the bill pro-
I vlded that il should become effective this
4 year. The measure was prepared by
| City Solicitor s. 5. Field and it was Mr.
/ Field VINO inserted the year OF 1914 in II.
! As soon as Mayor Preston learned that il
| was proposed 10 have a Change 90 into
/ effect this year, be Immediately COM
| municated with Mr.. George Arnold
| Frick. the Chairman OF the City Delega
| ton. and asked that the change be made
effective in 1916. During the last State
| campaign MayOr Preston in his tour of
! the counties advocated Home Rule for
! Baltimore City. especially in regard TO
| the Police Board and the Board of Ii
| Cuor License Commissioners. and he
made Il plain that should the change be
| granted By the Legislature, he did not
want It 10 become effective until Nav,
! 1916. Al that time Mayor Preston's 5
term as Mayor Of Baltimore will have ex-
pired, and in addition the term OF Gov
ernoT Goldsoorough would be at an end.
This would not in any way effect the
present eleCliye officials who are called
upon 10 make these appointments. or IN
whose hands il IS proposed TO lodge
them in the future. Il was pointed ou,
by Mayor Preston in his speeches that
should the present Legislature give the
people OF Baltimare City Home Rule.
that when they elect the next Mayor both
the elected official and the people would
know that these new department heads
were to be named by the Mayor OF Balu-
more. AT the same time the new Gov
ernor would know before hand that he
would not be called upon TO appoint a
Police Board or Board Of Liquor License
Commissioners for Baltimore City. In
other words. Governor Goldsborough
would again appoint the Board OF Police
Commissioners and the Board OF Liquor
Licenses for the next two years. after
which these appointments would be
made by the Mayor in the same manner
that all municipal officials are appointed.
Ia fighting for Home Rule for Baltimore.
Mayor Preston IS fighting for what he be-
lieves to be right and for the best inter
ests Of Baltimore. He does not want 10
name the Police Commissioners nor the
Liquor License Commissioners and he
does not want TO strip the Governor of