The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1929-01-24
Legislature Is Given
A Preliminary Glance
(By the Man in the Street in the Bal
timore Observer


way of Johnnie Doyle's Short Line
railroad and before l got far I was
convinced that the rails need little
sandpapering to make the ride bit
less jolly. Il hope Mr.. Doyle takes
the hint.)
Reaching Annapolis the first
thought was to inspect the State
House, which was still there, none of
Governor Ritchie's appointees or
their employees having removed it
for the benefit of the junk man.
1t was after nightfall and the State
House was all lit up and surrounded
by small ocean of automobiles. 1t
was Tuesday evening and the Gen
eral Assembly of Maryland was
about to resume its sessions for the
week.
The main corridor and the small
corridor on the House side were
crowded. The city Democratic bosses
were out in force, but not full force.
There was Big Boss Joe Kelly, Boss
Howard Jackson, Boss Charlie Bichy,
Boss Eugene Beer, Boss Joe Henft,
Boss John Tormollan, Boss Billy Cur
ran, Boss and Senator John Bouse,
Boss and Senator John Boone Cham
bers, Boss and Senator Ambrose Ken
nedy, and so on, all milling around,
not to mention a few county bosses.
The two houses were late in con-
vening, as they say, and the eXplana-
ton was that Speaker Brooke Lee
was holding meeting of his hand
picked Grand Inquest Committee
which is not expected to find any
thing important in the State Roads
scandal that we do not already know
about.
1t soon came out that Charlie
Bichy had been spending a more or
less unpleasant half hour or so with
his Highness, the Prince of Como
wingo, which potentate some OF the
irreverent are now beginning to nick
name Albert the Tortoise because of
his prediction for contemplating
CELEBRITY with cunctation, as the late
Governor Pennypacker of Pennsyl-
vania was wont to advise.
Bichy and the Governor, it seems,
had discussed the deadlock in the city
House delegation whereby the Rit-
chie-Joe Kelly adherents were at that
time unable legally to elect chair
man of that group and had been driv-
en- to the unhappy expedient of de-
claring half to be a majority with the
assent of Speaker Brooke Lee, who
prior to that had boldly confessed his
own political honesty. The Governor,
it appears, stuck to Joe Kelly and
Billy Curran and there was no agree
ment for the future political opera
tons.
When the House finally convened it
was revealed that Speaker Lee had
persuaded his handpicked Grand In
quest Committee to approve scheme
of window dressing whereby three
eminent Baltimore lawyers were
to act for the committee in investi-
eating further the toy balloon ascen-
sions, parades, silver service presen-
tations and other activities of that
section of the Richie political ma
chine legally known as the State
Roads Commission.
So far, so good. 1t looked like
Brooke Lee was making great prog
ress in soothing the indignation OF
the plain people. But then there was
Delegate Frederick Lee Cobourn OF
Hartford, boiling like cauldron of
type metal, the Lee in his name not
indicating any connection at all with
the Lee of Silver Spring who was
presiding over the House without the
Cobourn vote.
Mr.. Cobourn had an order, of pur-
pose most excellent and simple. 1t
merely asked the Governor of the
State to give the House the available
information about the expenditure of
the money of the taxpayers for such
ballyhoo as the Grain Highway open
ing, the Severn River bridge opening
and the Havre de Grace bridge eman-
cipation from the burden of toll.
No sooner had the innocent order
been read and before the author of it
could make a contemplated motion
the Speaker referred it to his hand
picked Grand Inquest committee. Mr.
Cobourn protested and Dan Joseph
came boldly to his assistance. There
was an appeal from the ruling of the
chairman and the Speaker took the
floor to defend himself with book of
rules in one hand. The Speaker read
a rule to sustain his action. The
others read rules to the contrary
Delegate Tolle of Baltimore county
where Ross Harrison Rider now rules
in undisputed sway, was put in the
chair. Being a supporter of the
Speaker he took care to rap every
time Mr.. Cobourn might hurt the
feelings of the Speaker and thereby
cause the administration forces to
weep.