Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-24
LEE REPLY BRINGS
|NSURGENT Jolt
Disclosures of Information on
Courthouse Fund Wins
93-11 Approval.
BY WILLIAM J. WHEATLEY,
Staff Cnrrnsnnndnnf Of Tho Ctnr

STATE HOUSE, ANNAPOLIS, Md,
January 24.-When Democratic inSur-
gency in the House of Delegates yester-
day made flank attack from its anti
administration fight, by attempting to
prod the affairs of Montgomery County.
1t received its most severe jolting at the
hands of the House, from Republicans
and organization Democrats alike When
Speaker E. Brooke Lee of Silver Spring,
from the floor, explained the whole
history OF the courthouse bond issue.
and detailed to the House the basis of
the allegations made by the insurgents.
that body, by vote CT SO to IL, rejected
the resolution which sought an invcsti-
cation OF the alleged misuse of the
Montgomery County courthouse bond
issue by special committee of the
grand inquest committee.
1t was clearly an attempt to en-
barrass, and was just as clearly resented
by the House. Republicans voted almost
solldly with the administration, because
1t was an attack on the unwr:tten law
OF local self-government under which
the counties and cities in MARYLAND
are run.
speaker Lee, when various delegates
jumped to the floor and sought to find
from the proponents of the investiga-
ton measure what facts they had.
pleaded that they be given an oppor-
tunlty to talk without interruption, at
the conclusion of which he would ex-
plain the matter in detail.
Debate All Afternoon.
The debate which lasted for the en-
TIRE afternoon session was precipitated
Wnen Delegate Robert E. Ford of the
fourth Baltimore district sent to the
desk lengthy resolution which provid-
ed for the appointment of a special
committee OF the grand inquest COM
mlttee or the House for the sole pur-
pose OF investigating the Montgomery
County Commissioners, and particu-
larly an alleged misuse of proceeds of
a bond issue authorized by the 1927
Legislature for the construction of a
courthouse and Jail at Rockville. He
alleged that it was the prerogative of
the House to search into the use of
funds obtained from bond issues au-
thorlzed by the State Legislature, and
said that he understood that $4,000
OF the 100000 issue had been used for
the benefit of gentleman who hap
pens TO be the speaker of the House. -
Delegate Lawrence P. Williams of ST.
Marys County and Majority Floor
Leduer James j. Lindsay sought to OBJ
tain from Mr.. Ford some information
as to what facts he had on the charges
made. Finally. after saying that he OBJ
tanned 1t from the public press, display
ed copy of the Montgomery Independ-
ent. whereupon Delegate Williams ask
ed him it he was making a charge OF
this kind without previous investigation
and added that if this was so, he was
insulting the Intelligence of the House
Pressed closely as to whether he alone
prepared the resolution, he finally ad-
mitted that he collaborated with Dele
gate Daniel c. Joseph of the fourth
Baltimore district, and leader of the in
surgent bloc
Delegate Joseph took the floor after
Mr.. Ford, and waving a copy of the
Independent. containing a map which
purported to show the new Silver
Spring Bethesda road. said that it runs
through the vast property holdings oi
a certain member of this House" He
too, admitted. under questioning OF
Delegate Lindsay, that he knew moth.
ing OF the truth of the charges, and
the only information he had was
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