The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-03-11
Winchester Reviews
Doings Of Legislature

State House, annapolis, Mar. S.
The one thing which contrasts the
present General Assembly with al
its predecessors since the Civil War,
/ is the entire absence of leadership,
either among the members, or on the
outside. Not one of the old time
leaders of either party (most of
them are dead are here to direct or
! influence action among the Senators
and Delegates. The lobbyists of
days gone by are all absent, and
what little attempts are made by
the new generation at lobbying are
crude and amateurish in their char
acter, and are apparently without
effect. On the partisan, political
side, the only attempts at direction
and leadership have been made by
Chairman Tate and Mr.. @. E. Wei
Ter, of the Republican party, and
their work has been too amateurish
to be worthy of mention. Mr.. Tate,
however, has been here the entire
session, and all the credit for the
passage of the City Annexation Bill
in the House should be given to him.
Day and night he has worked among
the members Of his party in the
House-he has plead and argued
with them, and if credit is to be
given to anyone for the passage of
that measure through the House, Mr..
Tate certainly is entitled to it all. 1t
is true Mayor Preston and City So
licitor Field have been here, ac-
companied by contingent of prom
inent citizens (irreverently called
the honorary pall-bearers) from time
- L0fc0
tarded rather than helped the pas
sage of their pet measure. There is
no use in attempting to deny the
fact that MesSrs. Preston and Field
have been, and still are, the chief OBJ
stacles to the success of the anneXa-
ton scheme. These two gentlemen,
eminent, able, and distinguished as
they are, are very unpopular with
many of the county Senators and
Delegates While both the Mayor
and his City Solicitor are country
men, born and bred, Mr.. Preston in
Hartford county and Mr.. Field some
where in Virginia, they have not the
fainteSt idea of the countryman'S
point OF view, and all their actions
and words repel rather than please
the countrymen with whom they
IOlllC III SOhlCSl IL tuC CuuSAdIiOu
proposition should fail to become ef-
fective at this session of the General
Assembly, the people of Baltimore
blame on the heads of their distin-
guished and very able Mayor and
City Solicitor
Tracks bid fair to occupy a large
oh Of h1 80 hN
close of the session. The alarming
condition of the State roads, as a !
result of the severe winter and the
unusually heavy traffic-a style of
traffic which was never contemplated
when the roads were constructed
have played havoc with the high
ways in many sections, and the Cen
eral Assembly will be obliged to pro-
vide for the repair and maintenance
-ess Ike Hhele syst eHs Scatter Harft
son has taken the matter up, and
with his well known energy and
great business ability is devoting
much time to the solution of the
problem, capabiy aided by the mem
bers of the Senate and House of
Delegates.
What will BE the outcome of the
plOpoSCo lul lhCl lOS1SldIiOh lCSol
ing prohibition is, at present, uncer-
tain. There is no doubt but that
this is a strong prohibition iegisla-
ture, and the dry people can do what
ever they please in the way of fur
ther restriction, or total abolition of
the liquor traffic in the whole State.
Whether they will be satisfied with
what has already been done, is un-
certain, but indications are not alb
sent that they will probably de-
what they want That there will be
some legislation regarding the Race
Tracks is also highly probable.
Senator Omar D. Crothers, of Ce-
,cil county, is looked upon as one of
the future leaders of the Democratic
party. Mr.. Crothers, who is a
l.. Crothers, served his county two
sessions in the Senate-1900 and
1912-and made an excellent record.
That he is popular at home is evil
dent from the fact that he defeated
in the election last fall, Mr.. William
T. Warburton, who is known every
where as one of the ablest lawyers
and orators in Maryland, and is a
ability. To have defeated a man
like Mr.. Warburton is proof of great
popularity and recognized standing
in his home county, and Mr.. Croth-
ers is one of the young men whose
future career in Maryland politics
will probably be marked by great
distinction and honor.
Another Senator who will prob
ably take high rank in the future po-
litical history of the State is Sena-
tor Speicher, of Garrett, who is the
ranking member of his party in the
upper House. 1t is not eXaggerating
the fact to say that Mr.. Speicher is
as popular with the members OF
both parties as any man in the Gen
eral Assembly. No more active or
Industrious man ever sat in the Sen
ate at Annapolis. He is obliging and
courteous, and is always on hand to
do his work. That he is a man OF
independent views, is evident from
the fact that he refused to be die
tated to by Mr. Weller and the self
constituted leaders of his party, and
forced them to accept him as the Of
fetal leader of the Republican for
ces in the Senate, much against their
! will He is young, ambitious and
about as alert and self-possessed as
will be found anywhere, and look
out for him in the future of Repub-
lican politics, especially in Western