The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1929-02-28

Mr.. Richie in the latter days of his
reign.
No one ever heard of Mr.. Rider as
an insurance expert but many have
heard of him as a very successful
horse trader and live stock dealer. He
is president Of the Board of County
Commissioners of Baltimore county.
When the Governor first named
Carville D. Benson to the same insur-
ance job many saw in it the taking
of an opponent into camp, as Benson
had been a severe critic of Mr.. Richie
up to that time. Then the Governor
gave an important appointment to an
other severe critic when he named S..
K. Dennis to be the Chief Judge of
the Supreme Bench of Baltimore city.
By so doing many thought he had
shelved Dennis as a candidate for the
Governorship in 1880.
Everyone who knows about politics
is aware that Mr.. Rider has been free
in his criticism of the Richie admin
istration. 1t is we'll known that lit
tie over three years ago when the
Governor was organizing his spontan-
eous petitioners in behalf of his third
term and the late Carville Benson was
called on to do the work in Baltimore
county, Mr.. Rider bucked and killed
the scheme so dead that there was no
third term petitioning at all from Bal
timore county
So it seems that if one is to be
handed a good office by the Governor
the first essential is to give the state
executive good cussing out.
Attitude of Auditor Not
Admired By Some
1t is evident that some of those
who have heard Auditor Croggon, the
chief of the force of private account
ants engaged by the Governor to sup
ersede the States own men in exam
ming the roads accounts, have not
| been pleased with the superior atti-
tude assumed by that gentleman in
testifying at Annapolis. To question
afteer question the auditor replied by
referring to his printed report-a doc
ument which tells very little and
leaves out a great deal. Of course,
the members of the committee and
their counsel could very we'll read the
report themselves. They did not need
to summon Mr.. Croggon to do that
for them. The only conclusion they
could reach was that Mr.. Croggon's
/ knowledge was limited to the facts as
stated in the report and that this in
formation was limited by the official
instructions he received.
To date there has been lot of mud
and mist and fog and haze about these
Investigations. No one has seemed
to be energetic in getting all facts.
| The Annapolis committee seems to be
stalling and avoiding the calling of
essential witnesses. For instance,
there is the case of Eddie Thomas, the
young friend of John Mackall, who
bought a great lot of silverware. He
presented a written report but the
committee would not adopt the sug-
gestion that he be called and question
ed. There was the instance of w.
Hampton Magruder, Prince Georges
county, who seems to have handled
the barbecue and sandwich money. He
presents a report without vouchers
and he is not called for examination.
The original vouchers presented to
the State Roads office by Eddie Thorn
as have disappeared and we hear
nothing of any effort to find the cause
of their disappearance. We don't
hear what became of Mr.. Magruder's
vouchers. Maybe it doesn't matter
they were for only $1,000 or $4,000,
a small matter.
We have not heard where the auth
ority was obtained to spend public
money appropriated for roads on such
Injuries as silver punch bowls.
We have not yet been told why it
is that a high official can ignore the
law without being cited for trial when
the little fellows have to march to
court. We have not found out why it
is that high officials can disregard the
State budget while their employees
cannot.
Governor Makes
His Appointments
The biennial appointments of the
Governor have been made and there
is practically nothing remaining ex-
cept the designation of the police
magistrates and Peoples Court JUS
tees for Baltimore city. To please
someone the Governor has dumped the
associate and the assistant judges of
the Traffic court. We assume the
Governor owed some political debts
that he saw fit to pay in this manner.
The police court places can still be
held over the heads of members of
the Legislature until the close of the
session. 1t is the usual practice.
There are some other appointments
to be made after the Legislature adj
journs, among them some of the most
important places which have been leg