The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1927-03-10
UNWRITTEN RULES
GOVERN LEGISLATURE
Old-Time Lobbyists Have Dis
appeared From Scene.

Inc Sixty Gays, winch IL was de-
cided by the Baltimore Sun would see
the close of the session of the General
Assembly, have passed, and those who
are familiar with the habits and
customs which have prevailed at An
napolis since the organization of the
SState, expected would be the case, so
far from being ready to adjourn, less
than one-fourth of the work has been
actually started on its way, and there
is every indication that the usual jam
will take place during the last few
days, and the last night of the term,
will, on Monday, April 4th, find the
sergeant-at arms turning back the
clocks of the two houses, to prolong
the legislative day beyond midnight.
which is the constitutional hour for
the end of business.
The legislature has its own ways
of doing things-and it does them in
its own time-honored ways, no matter
what may be the views of newspaper
writers and of the general run of
citizens. 1t may change certain of it's
written rules of procedure from time
to time in un-important particulars,
the whole membership may be chang
ed from session to session, but there
are certain unwritten rules and Gus
toms which have not changed since
the first session, after the adoption of
the constitution Of 1916. And no
matter what may be the criticism
from newspapers, bodies of citizens or
individuals, the same old customs are
followed, and the outcome is always
about the same, for when the men,
bers Of the two Houses are gathered
together at Annapolis, whether the
control is in the power of one party or
the other, in all important particulars,
the outcome is about the same, and
the state goes on in its old-fashioned,
peaceful way, the government aver
ages about as usual, and the pros
perity of the whole people of Mary
land has never declined, but, slowly
and surely, has continued to increase,
from the foundation of the colony to
the present time. Whether those in
control in the olden times were
Wings, Federalist, or Democrats, and
in these later days, Democrats or
Republicans, the peace, progress and
prosperity, scarcely ever varied, and
a spirit of conservative justice, decen-
cy, and honesty, prevailed and still
prevails from the mountains to the
sea, and from the Mason Dixon,s
line to the borders and waters of
three centuries of her existence as a
colony and later as a State, the
commonwealth has been noted for
her conservative policies, and for the
conservative spirit evident in those
who have been entrusted with her
government, and, as result, peace
and prosperity, truth and justice,
religion and piety," have, as general
thing, prevailed in all her borders,
From time to time during the hundred
and fifty years Of her history as
State there have been threatened out
breaks of radicalism, sections of
popular sentiment have appeared
dangerous to the peace and well-being
of the people, but when the General
Assembly has convened, after our ell
ection held at such intervals, the nur-
NAL conservative record has been fol-
lowed and no signs or traces of rad
icalism have left the slightest vestige
in the legislation enacted. The laws
which have been placed on the books,
have been of the same safe and sane
character, as all those which have
gone through the test of the Gen.
eral Assembly ever since the colony
became sovereign state, and, in the
end all have been satisfied. And, de-
spite all the warnings and prophesies
of changes and unfortunate enact
ments, despite all the fears of evil
and dangerous legislation, despite all
the forebodings of eXtravagan and
waste this legislature has passed two
thirds of its time without any really
dangerous signs or tendencies of any
sort. The oyster fisheries, as well as
all other fishing and tide water privi-
leges will remain subject to the
riparian rights of those who dwell on
the shores of the bays and inlets of
the State; there will be no reckless
expenditures of the public funds,
Conowingo still remains under the
control of Maryland laws, the public
highways will continue to be i'm
proved, the Sunday laws will remain
as they are, the State Prohibition
laws will keep on being enforced in
the mild and drastic manner the mass
es of the people prefer, and when the
final adjournment takes place, at mid
night on April 4th, the population of
the commonwealth will find every
thing going on as it has always
been going on and there will be
satisfaction evident on the faces Of all