The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1922-01-27
BALTIMORE LET Ter,
state House Annapolis,

-.
The General Assembly is now
work, bills are rolling in, the comm
teesrhaVe been named in both Hous,
and All is ready here to take I'D Z
task of considering and enacting SUI
legislation as may be deemed nece
sary for the welfare of the people
Maryland. There is every disposition
both houses to weigh with care all ma
tiers that may be presented, and viii
there will no doubt be many diffe
ences of opinion on nearly every me-
sure that will be taken up, and eve
more than the usual amount of COZ
troversy as to what ought to be don
in the end the result will be more thu
is customary in the way of wholesdn
and beneicent legislation, which Ill
rebound to the welfare of the wlbh
people. = "A
The membership of both houses Nv
erages well, not only in ability bnH il
real, conscientious, desire to do lPhat
is right Most of the members aretbm.
paratively young men, and are
thoroughly representative of Their re.
specGve constituencies in the sSgeral
parts Of the State-and what wiRtend
to conservative and economical legis-
laion. is the fact that nearlyAll are
very considerable taxpayers-s6r real
taxpayers who have a materRl stake
in the public welfare, and are there
fore vitally interested in goel5and &C.
onomicaI administration, Hgenerally
make careful and CONSCIENTIOUS legis-
lators. The outlook for tie present
session therefore, is that most public
matters will be handled with more
than the usual care, and that what
ever mistakes may be maze, will be of
no great amount, and will result
from pardonable errorsiof judgment,
and rot from any intentional careless
ness and Indifference to the real pub
lie good.
One of the most important matters
which will be brought up for action
will be the proposition to increase the
numbers and enlarge the powers of the
State police force, now limited to So
men. who are supposed to patrol
the roads and highways of twenty
three counties. Since the organization
of this force, holdsups, on the county
and State roads have been reduced to
a minimum, and as a preventive of
crime, in the rural districts, the work
of this Eell-organized and efficient
body OF Young men, has been decided
" successful. County banks, county
merchants, and farmers generally, ap
pear to be greatly pleased with this
new adjunct, to the peace officers,
while the assistance they have rem
dered n MOTORISTS in distress, has
rendered them popular in all parts of
Maryland. When it is considered that
it requires over fifteen hundred peace
officers including the policemen, con-
stables and deputy sheriffs, to pre-
serve order and protect the public IL
Baltimore City. and that in all the
counties of Maryland, including CON
stables. deputy shsriffs and the police
in the towns. there are less than five
hundred men, it can be readily seen
what necessity there is for a we'll
organized and efficient force of men, to
patrol the roads and protect the peo-
pie in the more remote and isolated
sections. The very fact that these men
are around and aticell, is deterrent,
and the wife of a farmer in one of
the Western Maryland counties, ex-
DAYS since when she said that she had
no fear that any harm would happen
to her children ON their way to and
from school, now that the roads were
patrolled by the motorcycle guards.
And it is fact of no little Importance,
that since these young men have been
going around through the State, that
tramps have practically disappeared.
In some neighborhoods familiar to the
writer where hoboeS were very nu-
merous and annoying, they have en-
tireIy disappeared, and are seen no
more. greatly to the satisfaction OF
the people and especially the women
and children.
There is no doubt but that many of
the men holding important positions
in the several departments of the
State Government including not a
few Of the influential State leaders,
are hostile to several of the features
of Governor Ritchie's reorganization
plan. This hostility arises from the
fact that many of the men now in Of
flee. will be kept out in the cold oW-
ing 10 the consolidation of some of
the depa rtments and the consequent
reduction of the official force. Wheth-
er these men will comet 20 Annapolis
and openly attempt to thwart the
plans of His Excellency, is rather I'M
certGin at the present time, but it is
doubtful if they will have the cour-
age to do so. They will probably carry
on their hostile maneuvers under COW
err and do what they are ablest, to
array members of the House and Sen
ate against the various reorganlza-
ton bills These gentlemen claim that
it is the height of folly to reduce the
number of offices, that the party needs
all the patronage it has, and more too,
to keen the organization solid. and
maintain its supremacy in the State
The chances are that Governor Richie
when he finds out what is. going on,
will put up such a fight that he Will
win all his points with ease, for he Is
like the old fighter from Bitter Creek,
the more he is opposed, the harder he
fights. and he usually wins out in all
his contests. The City Senators and
delegates seem to be solidly back OF
him. and whatever hostility he en-
counters will probably come from Off
Gals and their friends who are leGa