The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1914-03-28
MORE COMMISSIONS-MORE
OFFICES.

AS soon as the Maryland Senate as
sembled on Monday night, it became
evident that the State Democratic
Machine (the Hon. John Walter Smith
Chief Engineer) had determined to
show its control of legislative pro-
ceedings and to run the steam roller
over all opposition without delay or
deliberation.
Its way of handling the State Tax
Commission Bill will illustrate this
fact better than any other incident we
could select. This Commission is to
have absolute, final control over the
matter of assessments in all the coun-
ties, towns, and cities of this State. 1t
is clothed with vast power over the
fortunes, almost the lives of the peo-
pie of this State, entering more init
mately and infuentially into the peo-
pies welfare lvel nou) than any other
political power in our midst.
The special Commission which
drafted the Bill was very capable
one and did a great deal of hard, valu-
able work. But that does not consti-
tute any good and sufficient reason why
such a Bill should be foisted upon the
people of the State by their Represen-
tatives Tor supposed Representatives,
without a word spoken in its defense.
That is exactly what the Senate of
Maryland did on Monday night after
eleven o'clock. No one lifted a voice
in even moderate defense of the most
far-reaching measure that has been
Cor perhaps could be- adopted by the
General Assembly. 1t was evidently
all arranged to clay low and say
muffin" but just put it through. Sena-
tor Williams realized that he was ''up
against it," but none the less protest
ed by voice and vote against some fea-
lures of the Bill and warned his fell
loW-SenatorS that out in the counties
they would find much feeling against
this continual burdening Of the tax
payers with superf1uous and expensive
Commissions. 1t means many thous-
ands of dollars for the State Tax
Board itself or its central offices. 1t
means also new salaried tax official
in each county of the State. Unless
we are nightly mistaken the people
of this State are in no MOOD to rejoice
in the creation of a lot more public
offices, providing for a lot of super
fuous political jobs.
At every session of the Legislature
there are many schemes laid for the
creation Of new offices to create places
for politicians, and the people of
Maryland are about thread-bare pay
ing increased taxes every year to
maintain these fellows in fat places.
There is no doubt in our minds that if
the taxpayers of Cecil had the right
to express their opinions by vote on
the creation Of any more Offices for
Cecil county, that they would over
whemingly defeat any such measure
and bury it beneath majority larger
than has ever been given for any can
Gidate voted for here.
What we need more than anything
else at this time is an economical ad-
miniStYation of our public affairs so
that the tax rates can be decreased,
rather than increased, for the sake of
providing a soft place for some off
cial. The State tax is the highest in
Maryland today than has ever been
known in the history of the State and
the Legislature should find some
means Of reducing the rate rather
than in creatin" new Offices, which
would have tendency to increase the
burdens of the people further.