Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-02
LEE AND WILMER AREHONORED
BY DELEGATES AT ANNAPOLIS
Speaker and Minority Floor
Leader Are Given Gold
Watches.
House Has Love Feast Dur
ing Lull in Heated
Debate.
BY a star Correspondent Of The Star.

BY STAFF Correspondent of The Star.
ANNAPOLIS, Md, April 2.-While
the House of Delegates assumed an air
of serenity such as has been unseen
during the fiery three months ended
early today, the lower body of the
Maryland General Assembly declared an
armistice from the acrimonious bonn
bardment of political fireworks that has
the leaders figuratively threw their
parting. 1t was the end of the session.
and the last before another election.
The pause was to show the esteem for
the leaders, who have differed on the
floor, and the House presented to
Speaker E. Brooke Lee of Silver Spring
and head of the Democratic organiza-
ton, and Joseph Allison Wilmer of
Charles County, Republican floor leader.
handsome gold watches. and other tok-
ems to certain members and to House
attaches.
Speaker Lee Lauded.
Speaker Lee was lauded in the high
est terms in fiowery speech by DR..
George l.. Edmon0S of Rockville, and by
the minority floor leader.
LII. OdlA Jllhb AlC ul0kk NC
lieve that there was any man in the
State of Maryland today better ac-
quainted with the political situation,
either in the counties or in the City OF
Baltimore, than the distinguished
speaker. He said such an understand
ing can only come through years of
study and OF work and of service. The
man who has presided over the House
for the last 80 days, he continued, has
demonstrated that he has always tried,
and successfully so, to be on the side OF
right, and added that when he arrived
at q conclusion on the side OF right
nothing could Swerve him.
He said that in all the turmoil of po-
litical discussions. there was always ami
mostly at the moment, but when one
looks back to the things that are said
in the heat of debate. they just merely
do not mean anything after all.
Through long years as political leader,
as soldier in France and as father,
he said the speakers ability and Ia
bors have made for him friends that
will be with him until the end. This,
he continued, even extends to his po-
litical opponents.
Praised as Builder.
The Speaker, he said, has been called
by some of his opponents, in a deriSive
manner, Brooke, the builder" No
nobler name as that can be attached to
any man than that of builder, he
went on. He is actually a builder, the
chairman of the Montgomery delegation
said. He has built Montgomery County
to the high plane which it has reached
today.
Montgomery County, he said. during
the last Is years has risen from the
lowest tax-paid county in the State to
the highest, and he said 1t was due to
the speakers foresight, and 1t is due to
him that Montgomery has been able to
take advantage of its opportunities by
reason of its proximity to the greatest
Capital of the greatest Nation In the
world. He said that the House would
ever be proud of the name OF Brooke,
the builder"
As the watch was presented, the en-
tire House arose and applauded and
screamed and yelled for their leader.
Before the Speaker arose Delegate
Wilmer took the floor and said that the
Speaker had presided over one of the
most difficult Houses that Wilmer had
been a member of, and faced one OF
the most difficult situations ever pre-
sented. Though he differed with him
politically, he continued, he had for him
q very high affection. He said that no
member Of the House could have done
so well the difficult job that was his
to do.
Lee Makes Reply.
Speaker Lee told how much he liked
to serve in the House, preferr1ng, ne
said, to serve with such a large BODY
than to be with the upper house. He
said that he liked the mental capacity
of the members of the lower body and
thoroughly enjoyed their arguments.
While he admitted that he had many
friends that were stickers, he said that
he must admit that he had many oppo-
nents that were just as good stickers.
He said that this had not been an
ideal House for the State OF Maryland,
because there had been more fractional
fighting than ever before. He said that
the Republican party had swept the
State in the last election, and had come
into the session full Of fight, working
toward the next victory. Speaker Lee
pointed out that he could not share
State administration and the Govern
ment had not done good job.
The factional lines have been well
defined, he continued, and the fighting
has been practically continuous and
bitter, but he pointed out that the
House at this session had enacted a
great mass of constructive legislation.
He said it would have to take credit
for as good record for service Tor the
people of the State of Maryland as ever
had been made.
The Speaker said that he has yielded
toA local self-government in every d.
rection. The more he saw of local SELF
government, the more confident he was,
he said, that the survival of represents
tive government depended on the coun-
ties and the city handling their AFFAIRS,
where they know their men, their wom-
en- and their needs. He said that the
House had given the people OF each
section what they wanted, pointing out
that the House had passed for Dor
chester County, because they wanted It,
a blue law the equal of which had
never before been read.
In concluding he said he wanted to
voice his complete respect for the mem
tally of the House. saying that 1t was
an honest, industrious and able group
of men. and added that he wanted
them all to come to Silver Spring where
he would stage for them either re-
union or political fight, according to
their choice.
Delegate ]. Milton Patterson, Republic
can, Of. Allegany County said that the
minority party had selected q wise
leader, when they selected Wilmer to
head their delegation on the floor. He
sad hei was an able counselor and a
good fighter, whether in this country or
abroad.
Reply by Wilmer.
Wilmer, In reply, spoke feelingly, and
admitted that words did not come SO
easily on such occasions as they did
during the heat of acrimonious debate
He. had a tribute to the membership
and said that the people who sent them
there three years ago made no mistake
He said that his affection for the ma
jority leader, Lee, was genuine, and
added that when the latter was going
to bring on the floor any matters to
which he knew Wilmer, as head of the