Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-12-18
DEMOCRATIC SOLONS
IOPlAY N " ROLE
In Minority In House For First
ime In 20 ears
HAVE MAJORITY IN SENATE
Hence hey VIII Have To Take Their
Share Of Responsibility For
Legislation

For the first time IN twenty years
the Democrats VIII be in the minority
I in the next House of Delegates
Hence they viii be called upon to
play q new role.
When the Republicans were in the
majority in the House in 1898, they
were also in control OF the Senate. A
Republican, the late Governor Lloyd
Lowndes, was in the Executive Man
sion. Upon the Republicans rested
the entire responsibility for legisla-
ton, whether good, bad or Indifferent.
During the coming legislative ses-
sion the Democrats viii have a pre-
ponderanee OF power. They will be in
the majority in the Senate. though By
! narrow margin They viii have
Governor with veto power The DEM
ocrats officially in the State House
and those unofiicially on the outside.
will not, therefore, be in position to
duck and dodge the unpopular part,
nor will they be able to point the ac-
cusing finger at the Republicans.
When the Republicans were in con-
troll at the State House, from 1896 I'M
til 1900, they were handicapped. In
1886 deal was made by which W
Cabell Bruce, an Independent Demo-
crat of Baltimore. was elected Presi-
dent of the Senate 1t has been sug-
gested that a similar deal shall be
carried through in the next Senate.
Such deal would be possible if the
Republicans would get behind DEM
ocratic Senator and elect him Presi-
dent, but the Republicans have served
notice that they will tolerate no deals
In the House. in 1898. the Repub-
leans were handicapped by an mex.
perienced Speaker. On the floor the
Democrats had such live wires as
Lloyd wilkinson, the late John S
Writ and the late Alonzo Miles, all
quick on their feet and all alive to
any question While the Democrats
will not be lacking in capable mate
rial during the approaching session of
the House, they will find themselves
confronted by conditions entirely diff
ferent from those in the House 20
years ago.
For these long 20 years the Demo-
Gratis have played up and exaggerated
the record of the Republicans in the
House as campaign material. They
will be up against conditions in the
coming House far different from
those of 1898. The Republican ma
jority will be under strict discipline
No tactics, no movements. no politics
tending to impair the integrity of the
Republican party as whole will be
tolerated. Democrats will discover
this when they begin their disrupting
tactics
The first loss, which the Democratic
minority will feel and which will fall
heavily upon them, viii be the score
or more desk officers, doorkeepers.
pages and other minor officers. Henry
Hasenkamp and John Wagner, who
have been important factors in run
ming the machinery of the House for
several years. will be missed During
the last session the Democrats, no
longer able to withstand an awakened
of minor places to a minimum. The
reduction was then regarded as only
temporary. They looked forward to
the session now at hand when they
expected to restore the regime under
which there were nearly as mary
places as there were Democratic mem
bers.
The Democratic leaders will find
themselves facing dilemma when
called upon to vote upon Republican
measures which will be framed for
the welfare of the State If they vote
for these measures they will believe
they will be open to the charge that
they are aiding the Republican cause.
If they do not vote for them they WILL
on the other hand, be liable to the
accusation that they opposed the
meritorious measures because they
were OF Republican origin. By such
course they would retard progressive
legislation, by which the advancement
of the States interest would be pos
sible