The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1929-01-03
(From the Baltimore Observer)
By the Man in the Street.

over Legislature oIlly lew days OH
Democratic members of the House
find themselves in great stew.
. Many of them do not want Major
Brooke Lee for Speaker again and
some of them will have to feel the
lash of their local bosses before they
get into line for the man from Mont
gomery and the choice of Governor
Richie.
This week members of the House
came to the city to look it over in the
course of three-days tour. No soon
er had the county men arrived here
and gathered in the lobby of Harry
Busick's new hotel that some of them
began to register their objections to
voting for Lee second time. Appar-
emily they didn't care to support the
Governors choice in view of the de-
velopments of the past year.
Of course they had read about the
ruction in the city delegation which
occurred last Friday night. While
they knew this caucus was called pri-
marily in the interest of some city
candidate for Speaker the main pur-
pose was to defeat Major Lee, the
Governors candidate of two years ago
and his candidate of today.
1t is not exactly clear that there is
any great personal hostility to Major
Lee but some hold the view that the
Governor is running the party into a
ditch as was shown in the Baltimore
City municipal election of last year
when Billy Curran was defeated by a
larger vote than was cast later
against Al Smith.
All now know that the Governor
popularity is on the wane, that he is
near the bottom of the political ladder
even though he will have official pow
er for two more years.
Curtis Seat May Be
Called in Question
l hear that even though Delegate
Francis P. Curtis is more or less of a
candidate for the Speakership on the
theory that the honor should be given
Baltimore City his right to be sworn
in as a member may be questioned.
In 1926 Mr.. Curtis wanted the NOM
ination for the State Senate. He was
shunted aside through a boss-made
edict in favor of Ambrose J. Kennedy,
who in turn had to make a primary
fight against the veteran George Arm
old Frick, enemy of the drys and anti
. race track men. So Mr.. Curtis ran
for the House of which he had been
Speaker in the preceding session. But
Mr.. Curtis held a comfortable posi-
ton as a member of the Board OF
Commissioners for Opening Streets
by the favor of the then Mayor Jack
son. Finding that he could not legally
hold onto both places at the same time
Mr.. Curtis elected to continue to open
streets and did so continue all the
ninety days the Legislature was in
session, said streets remaining wide
open to this very day.
AS Mr.. Curtis did not go to Annap-
oils and take the oath constitutionally
provided he drew no pay from the
State. He served the city until the
new Mayor, Mr.. Broening, desiring
the place for another, called upon him
to resign. He did resign although it
was his contention that he was not
legally bound to do so under the terms
of the City Charter and the Declare
ton of independence.
Now there are disagreeable mem
bers of the House who say that NV
Curtis, having scorned his seat two
years ago, should not now be allowed
to have it. So we shall Sc what we
shall see but there is no doubt that
Mr.. Curtis will go to Annapolis t.
swear into or at the House.
Curran and Kelly
Battle for Lee
The bolt of the anti-Lee members OF
the city delegation from the caucus OF
last Friday night was occasioned by 6
resolution offered by one of the dele
gates pledging those present to sup
port the Democratic caucus nominee
for Speaker.
This, it appears, was not expected
1t came, it seems, as the result OF
the activities of Senator Dan Cham
bers, Senator Kennedy, Billy Currar
and Greenmount Avenue Joe Kelly.
Before the caucus met in the rooms
of the Democratic State Central Com
mittee in the Royal Arcanum building
Senator Chambers, Billy Curran anc
others appeared at the Rennert anC
there met some members of the
Hot 5e. They stayed around till the
caucus was over or at least unit
those Democrats who associated them
selves with City Chairman Bichy ant
ex-Mayor Jackson left the meeting.
Greenmount Avenue Joe Kelly, wht
is a friend Of Billy Curran as we'll a:
a, political hacker of Senator Kennedy
was in the hall of the Royal Arcanun
building and was engaged in steering
delegates to the Rennert lobby.
AS the majority of the delegates re