The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1923-10-11
REPUBLICAN
CONVENTION
NOMINATES
Armstrong, C0LEmIAN,
HOLLAND And BREE U. En-
ADOPTS CONSTRUCTIVE
PLATFORM

porize, the Republican platform
I adopted at the party convention
held here last Thursday, bitterly
assailed the Democratic administra-
ton Of Governor Richie and pledged
change in government that would
bring about vital improvements in the
States affairs. The Republican party
sounded the keynote The People above
Party for Better Government"
The nominees selected for the State
ticket are Governor, Attorney General
Alexander Armstrong. of Washington
county; for Attorney General, William
c. Coleman, Baltimore for Comptrol-
Ter, J. Monroe Holland, Baltimore; for
Clerk Of the Court of Appeals, J. Clay
ton Brewer, Annapolis.
Former Governor P. L. Goldsborough
presided at the Convention of a united
Republcanism and praised the party
for the high caliber of the ticket.
The main features of the Republican
platform are as follows:
Governor Ritchie's eXtravagant claims
Of constructive government are wholly
unjustitied, because the most casual
inspection Of his boosted measures
.hnvvs 10 tal !,
craftsmanship and are frauds upon the
public. As an illustration, his Reor-
ganization bill. This has worked no
real reforms. 1t IS claimed for it that
it has reduced the number of State
departments from eighty ESQ., to nine
teen go. As a matter of fact, not a
single agency heretofore known as a
department has been abolished There
has been merely a regrouping and q
change Of names. Every one of such
former agencies has been retained
and is functioning today. The number
Of jobholders has been increased rath-
ar than diminished, and the cost of the
states government is more burden
some than before.
Again. the Fewer Elections bill IN
necessarily deprives the people Of
| heir right to vote every two years
upon State candidates and issues. 1t
| Gbolishes time-proven checks and bal
ances. 1t tends to perpetuate in power
the mar and his friends who designed
t for this very purpose. We demand
that people shall have a right to vote
on State matters at least every two
years. This is a reasonable and neces-
5ary check upon abuses in public Of
flee. 1t will tend to make government
responsive to the popular will. 1t is
! also necessary in order to secure some
measure of continuity in governing
/ bodies, such as boards of county com
missoners. Since national elections
are held every two years State cleo
| lions could and should be held at the
same time without additional expense.
The administration of Governor
Richie has been the most expensive,
eXtravagant and wasteful in the his
tory of the State and out OF all pro
portion to the necessities of the times.
| The people have been lulled into secur-
| ity by the hypOcritical device Of lower
| ing the tax rate without lowering the
tax bills Actual taxes have been in
creased with increasing assessments
and the camouflage of economy fur
nished by the use of an enormous bal
ance received from the preceding ad-
ministration and the huge sums de-
rived from the Racing Commission
| and ether sources.
/ The payroll of the State, exclusive
! of salaries under the school system,
! in the judicial and legislative depart.
! ments, and also exclusive Of certain
other items, has increased approx
! imately $1,0O0.00G since Albert c.
= Richie became Governor The Richie
! budget of 1920 increased the appropria-
ton to the Executive Department
! alone Exclusive Of salaries and wages)
from $4,000, the amount appearing
in the preceding Harrington budget,
! to over $72,G 600 an increase of over 50
per cent. The total taxes on real and
tangible personal property exclusive
! Of tangible taxes on ordinary business
corpOratiOns) produced by the lowered
rate of 80 1-3 cents, of which the Gov
ernOr boasts, were larger in the ag-
| gregate during 1928 than the amount
! derived from the higher rate of SO
/ Slip cents on the assessment of 1920,
/ anything in the Democratic platform
tC the contrary Notwithstanding. And
| these taxes came from the pockets of
! the taxpayers. In view of the tire
mendously increased State revenues
! derived from specia! taxes and licenses.
! reasonable economy in the manage
ment Of the States affairs should have
| practically cut the tax bills in half
/ Notwithstanding the obvious pro
| priety OF auditing regularly the ac-
cunts Of the State departments. this
safeguard to the proper conduct of our
state finances has been grossly ne
| elected. The Automobi" Department.
he Public Service Commission, the In
sIranco Department, tho Governors
ontingeGt fund and other dpnartments
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