The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1915-10-30
TRUTH ABOUT ISSUES in GUBfRNATORIAL FIGHT

confession was their own knowledge
of the public distrust of their prom
ises of betterment, inspired by long
record of promises made and broken.
This knowledge induced them to
make an attempt at sort of guaran-
tee of repentance, by platform con-
stitution of commission headed by
President Goodnow of the Johns Hop
kins University, and otherwise COM
posed of men in whom the public
would have implicit confidence. 1t was
the confession of a distrusted con-
tractor offering bond for the perform
ance of his contract in surety COM
pany of undoubted responsibility.
Putting Honor In Commission.
| know of no other instance in the
history of Maryland where so un-
blushingly political party put their
honor in commission. 1t had a strange
but unreal resemblance to the King of
England putting his conscience in the
keeping of the Lord Chancellor. But
the men who created the commission
could not overcome the habit of trick
cry, to which a long career of trickery
had accustomed them. They created
commission without power and with
out funds-and, delighted with their
handiwork, adjourned.
They, however, overlooked the fact
that DR.. Goodnow, whom they had
ostentatiously placed at the head of
this Commission, had made profound
study of the Chinese character, and
had so qualified himself for study of
the heather Chinese of Maryland. DR..
Goodnow accordingly suggested. in
the politest way and as gravely as he
could, that he would be very glad to
make a preliminary investigation of
the matter of useless offices and State
efficiency, but that for anything else
he would have to wait for the meeting
of the Legislature for that power and
those funds which would be necessary
to enable the Commission to perform
its functions with effect. The trick
was vain.
| have read. with such care as the
time at my disposal admitted. the
speeches which Mr.. Harrington has
been making for himself, and which
others have made for him. All of
them may be briefly summed up in the
statement that they express the belief
that every pledge in the Democratic
platform will be duly performed if Mr..
Harrington and a Democratic Legis-
lature are elected, and that if the peo-
pie do not trust them to do so. they
must rely upon the GoodnoW Com
mission to make them keep their
pledges.
The Commission Powerless.
1t is sufficient to say of the argu-
ment thus summarized that nobody
with any sense would trust a lot of
men to perform their promises who
had before made equally strong prom
ises and again and again broken them,
simply because they had named in
their platform a commission of repu-
table men. with no power to compel
the performance of such promises.
Already, with frankness which
does him credit, Senator Ogden in sub
stance declares that he does not pro-
pose to promise in advance that he will
do what the commission wants. and
that he reserves to himself the right,
and he might have added. the duty; to
pass for himself upon the soundness
of the commissions recommendation
when made to him as a Legislator.
Real Problems That Confront The
State
The State of Maryland has braver
problems than the preservation of an
old political machine, which has kept
the State of Maryland out of its place
among the severeignties of the Union,
which has brought the State of Mary
land from the high estate of being re-
presented in the United States Senate
by such men as William Pinkney,
James Alfred Pearce, Reverdy John
son, William Pinkney Whyte and Will
CONTINUED on second page)