The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1922-02-16
RUMORS OF WAR ON PARTY
BILLS FILL STATE CAPITAL
Threats to Scrap Reorganization
and Repeal Merit System
Law Made.

~
city but nonetheless directly and def
initely expressed-to scrap the entire
Reorganization bill, repeal the whole
Merit System law and throw into the
discard the proposed Fewer Elections
measure, were heard in the State
House today from sources closely
identified with the Democratic State
organization.
These threats were being taken
seriously by some, although not in all
quarters. There was every indica-
(tion that they were thrown out for
serious consideration in some quar-
tiers and for various other effects in
other quarters.
Few, if any of the legislative lead
ers and few of the representatives
of the administration believe that the
threats can be carried out or that
there will be a serious attempt to
carry them out if any really strong
opposition to them should develop.
But there was general agreement here
tonight that the attitude which the
threats indicated some of the State
machine leaders have adopted almost
certainly will mean trouble for the
administration leaders before the SEES
sion ends.
The movement on the part of the
political chiefs did not come as a sur
prise to the Administration or to An
napolis generally. First indications
of it were seen several weeks ago.
These indications We're an expressed
desire to repeal the merit system
and abolish the State Purchasing Blu
reau. The bill to abolish the State
Purchasing Bureau was introduced in
the House lust after these indications
first became apparent.
Next came the fight to keep in the
State Government the Prison Parole
Board and the State Roads Commits
sion Jobs which, under the raorgani-
cation bill as at present drawn, would
be abolished
1t is known that there was a per
sistent and apparently a deliberate
effort to get the Administration to
support the attempts to put these
jobs back. The spolitical chieftains
gave up hope today of getting that
support.
Coincident with the abandoning OF
this hope came the whispered word,
in both House and Senate, that a
merit system repeater was being pre-
pared, that an effort would be
made to mutilate the reorganization
bill on the floor; that it would be
strapped, in effect. and that the fewer
elections measure would be allowed
to die a natural death in committee
with no effort to bring it out on the
floor.
Many of those who heard this word
passed around indicated belief that
the threats may have been made
merely to strengthen fight for the
saving of Jobs abolished by the Reor
ganization bill. There were other in
UICdIlOllS, uONeNeI' LudI lHe IHIedIS
were meant seriously, at least so far
as scrapping the Reorganization bill
and smothering the Fewer Eelections
measur were concerned.
Some of those who listened to the
threats and who watched the actions
-, of some of the State and city organi-
zation leaders who are spending an
unusual amount of time in the State
Capital, see another reason behind
the threats.
These men see an attempt by the
State organization to play on the re-
puted ambitions of Governor Richie
to succeed himself Much of this am
bition of the Governor, it is generally
understood, is based on the expected
success of his administration pro-
gram as laid down in the Democratic
party platform which the Governor
did much to frame.
If this program is threatened in
its essential features, some of the
State and city organization leaders
are said to feel they can bring the
: Governor around to withdraw all ad-
ninistration opposition to the move
ment to save some jobs for a few of
the individual cogs in the State ma
chine. One or two of the organiza-
ton leaders have not hesitated boldly
to express the threat that if the Gov
ernor should run counter to the or
ganization in some of it's desires at
Annapolis now, that the organization
will arrange a political funeral for
the executive when his term has ex-
pired.
In the House this evening Delegate
Harvey introduced a measure which
is designed to impose additional du-
ties on the States Attorney for Gar
rett county, and which will require