The citizen., 1915-08-20
COMMISSION IS SUGGESTED

Suggesting a commission to revise
government methods from which
Maryland suffers, Joseph D. Baker,
president of the Citizens National
Bank, Frederick, in an article in the
Baltimore Sun urges that candidates
be bound by definite pledges to abol-
ish useless Offices and put stop to
waste OF public funds.
Extracts from the article:
while every Thoughtful man" he
said yesterday, has been OF the opin-
ion that there was considerable waste
OF money in the State government,
due, in part, to the continuance OF
Offices which have outliyed their use
fulness, in part to the duplication of
work, in part to lost motion and in
part to general carelessness in max
ing appropriations and extravaganza
in spending them, l do not believe
very many persons had any idea that
the waste and extravaganza had gone
as far as The Sun has shown it has
gone, or that the evil had assumed
such great proportions. l think that
The Sun has perfomed a great public
duty in laying the situation before
the people, and l cannot commend it
too highly for the work it has done in
this direction. The articles are well
worth the attnetion of every thought
fui man in the State.
"The situation ought to be remedi-
ed promptly, and the waste of the
taxpayers money stopped as quickly
IS it is humanity possible to do it. Both
political parties at their approaching
State conventions ought to put planks
in their platforms pledging themselves
specifically and definitely to put an
end to the present waste and extrav-
agance. These planks ought to be posi-
tive, unequivocal, and not made up OF
generalities. Any platform and any
party would naturally pledge its can
didates to economy and efficiency
1t would not dare go before the peo-
pie with anything else-but this is
not sufficient. The platform ought to
pledge their candidates to specific re
medies for definite abuses. and ought
TO be so drawn that there can be nc
avoidance of the issue. Anything less
Will SAVIOR of equivocation and will
not deceive the people for minute.
AS the Democratic party will be
the first to hold its convention. it will
have the golden opportunity. and its
declaration On the subject ought tc
be so clear, so explicit and so convinc-
ing that there will be no doubling its
sincerity. 1t is certain that if it does
not do so, the Republicans will not
miss the chance the Democrats give
them. This is situation in which
ambiguity will be 1T a big discount,
and may prove costly to any party
9r candidate that tries it.
Then the candidates themselves
ought TO come out and let the people
know exactly where they stand, and
what they propose to do about the
situation. All the candidates now be-
fore the people for the Gubernatorial
domination are, l think, able and high
minded men, with the real interest
of the State at heart, and I believe
the States interests would be safe
with any Of them. I believe that anv
Of them, if elected, would do exactly
What he says he will Dc. do it honestly
and conscientiously. But this is the
time for them all to tell the people
what their ideas on this subject are
and tell them definitely and specifcal-
ly.
"The legislative candidates too
ought to pledge themselves to the
needed reforms in the administration
of the States affairs. They need rot
fear that they will lose votes by de-
oi2ring they will help to abolish use
less Offices, for the total number OF
officeholders in the State, let alone
those whose Offices are useless, are
but drop in the bucket as compared
with the number of taxpaying voters
whose burdens for the support of the
State have been increasing steadily
for years. It is the vote of the tax
payer which is going to count in this
coming election.
The mistletoet hrives to such an ex.
Il 4.