The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1914-02-19


friendship among members of the
majority party was the instrument
which turned the trick. The sentiment
of the House is anything but favor
able towards temperance and left TO
themselves the members, it is believed,
would nave made short work of the
Garrett bill.
An instance of that was shown late
last week when the Speicher and
Shartzer bills prohibiting the sale of
liquor within two miles OF any school
house or church outside corporate limits
was walloped to a standstill. The
temperance committee reported IN
favorably on the Shartzer bill and the
anti-temperance folks within few
minutes had tied the subject up so tight
as to prelude its reopening during this
session. Therefore the change in SEN
timent was all the more remarkable.
But as had been said before the fight is
over and the bill within few days will
receive Its final passage and will go to
the Governor to be signed.
Throughout the fight Speicher has
played clever game. He introduced
the bill as early as possible in the SEES
sion, by quick thinking had it referred
to select committee instead of the
regular temperance committee and
again had it passed by the Senate be-
fore opponents of the bill knew what
was going on.
Another important point about the
bill is that it sets a precedent for the
session in that the House Temperance
Committee will have hard time TO
turn down any county delegation which
appeals solidly for favorable action on
temperance legislation.
The local option fight has been so alb
sorbing that little else has been done
from county standpoint. On the
House side the Garrett delegation has
offered little new legislation Mr.
Shartzer' S election bill to provide for
all election advertising in single paper
has been given its final quietus Other
county measures are due for reports
within few days.
The Assembly has done little other
than accomplish routine work during
the past six days. Last week the Dem
ocrats in the Senate on a strict party
vote unseated Ounce Ashburn. Fusion
LIST of Worcester, and seated Orlando
Harrison, Senator John Walter Smith 5
friend. The trick was only accomplish.
ed after Senator Speicher, minority
member of the Election Committee, had
rallied the other Republican Senators
about him and had waged strong fight
to save Ashburn.
The mass vote talk is still going the
rounds with the Smith people working
like mad to defeat the bill and extend
the county unit to senatorial primaries.
Oyster legislation is the big talk of this
week. The tidewater legislators are
bent on repeating the Hannah planting
laws and the Shellfish Commission acts
and on wiping out the entire oyster cul-
ture industry. On the House side the
oystermen are making a telling fight
and they stand strong chance of put
ting over their plans. The Democrats
have decided to make road legislation a
strict party measure and last night a
caucus was held 20 determine what
amount the loan should be and whether
81, 900, 900 for new Light street bridge
near Baltimore should be included in the
amount.
Governor Goldsborough has started to
send his batch of appointments to the
Senate for confirmation. All of the
blue bag must be IN by February 25.
The Governor started the ball on Mon
day night by reappointing Dr. NJ. Bates
Stephens as Superintendent of the
State Board of Education.