The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1914-04-04
THE STORY OF THE ROAD LOAN

| proves worthless the tremendous De-
mocratic majority in this Legislature
| "a majority dominated be it said by
| the John Walter Smith Machine) will
| have a good many things to answer
| for to the people of this State.
One of them things will be the rea-
son for appropriating the enormous
sum of six millions and six hundred
thousand dollars to be expended by the
Road Commission in the next two
years. This sum, with the further
amount of 100000, appropriated for
the Annapolis Boulevard, makes a
grand total of over seven millions of
dollars which the Commission is au-
thOrized to expend before the meeting
| of the next Legislature, or within the
brief period of two working seasons.
To one who keeps his head, who
thinks calmly and without the in
fluence Of political considerations, such
action must appear not only financial
ly unsound in State of such limited
resources as Maryland's, but it must
appear without any justification what
ever from the standpoint of equitable
service to the whole body OF the peo-
pie.
We will speak later about the puer-
lie talk Of burdening the State of
Maryland with twenty millions of dol
lars of road debt without raising the
tax rate. Just at present we want to
review briefly the processes which
eventuated in this astonishing result.
When the Democrats in the Senate
turned down Senator Williams reso-
luton asking for special committee
to take under consideration the whole
road situation in the State, they ne
elected to provide for any course of
action in its place. They just drifted
along. A Bill was before the Legisla-
ture presented by one OF John Wal
ter Smiths delegates, appropriating
the $6,200,0 100000, asked for by the
Road Commission. But it was receiv-
ing little attention and less discussion,
until it became evident that the time
was arriving when some action must
be taken. Thereupon a Democratic
caucus was held, which broke up in a
row and without reaching any conclu-
sion. Now follow the proceedings
closely. Within few days after this
caucus, President Price, of the Senate,
introduced a new Bill in that body,
with which Bill he announced that he
proposed to Ego down the line" This
Bill carried the six million appropria-
ton all right, but it carried some other
things also-some things which you
| nor any one else has ever seen men
toned in the Baltimore Sun Ga fact to
which we allude as an evidence of how
/ utterly unfair and Enthusiastically the
| Sun Is in its reports of legislative pro-
ceedings.) The things in that Bill to
which we refer were its special pro-
visions'-special provisions for the
counties Of Worcester, Wicomico, Har-
ford, Baltimore and Montgomery, even
a special provision for two bridges
in the town of Salisbury lin which
| town President Price himself reSides).
Senator Williams got hold of the type
written copy of the Bill few minutes
after its introduction. The newspaper
man from whom he got it had sent off
his story to the paper, without having
| perused the entire Bill When Mr..
Williams called his attention to these
special provisions" he Immediately
telegraphed a supplemental story and
| the appearance in the Baltimore
American of that story of said special
provisions set lots of folks afire. 1t
was evident that this Price bill had
| granted these special concessions in
| the belief that thereby enough votes
would be rounded up to put it through.
In other words, it began the bidding
for votes for Road Bill by making
agreements with certain counties. Get
that fact fixed. Immediately counter
deals were projected. 1t became a
matter Of bidding for votes, wherein
combination of Western Maryland,
Baltimore City and few others got
the whip hand. 1t was shameless
exhibition all around, but the support
ers of the Price Bill did not grow vir-
tuously Mortified at the exhibition un-
til they found that they were beaten
at their own game-that they who had
started the bidding business had been
Outbid and were likely to get licked.
Then came the quick shift OF the Price
Bill people. They very promptly of
fered, in the Senate, amendments
striking out all these special provi-
sions" for selected counties and as
sumed the high-tone of pleading for a
statewide measure with no strings
to it, with no special interests recog-
nlZed." The thing was so badly hy-
pocritical that Senator Williams could
not forbear asking on the floor when
this spasm of virtue had seized them,
what had so suddenly converted these
gentlemen from Bill full of Especial
provisions to a Bill which contained
none at all" The reply of President
Price was ION more mature considera-
ton, after further thinking it all over,
| have been convinced that | was
wrong as to those special provisions"
(Which conviction" said Senator Will
1iams, was doubtless much accelerated
by the fact that you were outbid."
In other words, for days in Annap-
oils, there went on the most disgusting
bidding and counter-bidding for votes.
But the Price Bill, carrying S62OO,-
10000 Isl 100000 of which was to go
to Baltimore City, went through the
Senate easily, that body being COM
pletely in control of the Smith mach
inc. 1t was destined to find rough
shedding in the House, where its coun-
terpart the Veazey Bill, had been
knocked out
Now, the purely political game gets
in its work. Baltimore City and some
Western Maryland folks were charg-
ing John Walter Smiths machine with
having given them "raw deal". That
sort of talk grew hot and bitter and
began to disturb John Walters dreams