The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1929-01-31
THE PASSING SHOW
(The Observer. Baltir1ore)
By the Man In The Street


ran and Joe Ranft-not at all. It's
about the tanning of Speaker Brooke
Lee.
Certainly all my readers pay some
attention to the daily papers and then
turn to The Observer to see what
they missed or nlussed. So they have
read about the panning the Speaker
got on Wednesday when a resolution
was offered by Delegate Ford asking
that the real estate operations of the
Speaker in connection with the road
building in Montgomery county be in
vestigated.
Of course the Speaker took the
floor to fight against investigation
and great majority, including most
of the Republicans, voted with the
Speaker, SO that only eleven stood
by the proposition. But to me that's
neither here nor there. I come to
the defense Of Speaker Lee. Let me
put the case as I see it.
The Lees can be counted on as big
spenders in politics. In the year 1911
the elder Lee when he was running
for the Democratic Gubernatorial
nomination, put in circulation large
bales of money. He did the same
thing in 1915 when he ran in the pri-
maries against Harrington. Of course
he let go Of this money for aducation-
al purposes, the voters Of that period
being in great need Of enlightenment
about the sins and shortcomings of
the opposition.
These two years were good times
among the Democratic politicians.
Now, there was still another year.
That was 1915, when the elder Lee,
then in the U. S. Senate without OPP
position in his own party, had to do
battle for the nomination with both
David J. Lewis and VIM. Cabell Bruce,
He shelled out that year, too. How
ever, having now retired from active
politics, the elder Lee has stopped
Smelling out.
But the younger Lee, the present
Speaker Of the House, has large am
billions and he has started early. He
has already held the office of State
Comptroller and might still be hold
ing it, no doubt, but for a case of
something better than he now has.
Maybe it's the U. s., Senatorship, or
as many think, the Governorship, now
that it has been demonstrated that
one man can get that prize three
times in succession.
Now the Lees have held large
block Of land on the borders of the
District Of Columbia and Speaker
Lee has added greatly to this in the
course of his speculative building OPP
erations If the Lee real estate pro-
gram goes well a great deal of money
should come to the Lees and particu-
larly Brooke Lee, the Speaker.
Everyone knows that last year was
q POOI OIlC III ClIC GCil CD IclCC DUolIlESS.
So that Speaker Lee surely did not
make as much as he had a right to
expect. He is the boss of Montgom-
cry county. If he gets what he is
said to be getting-the cooperation Of
the County Commissioners in road
building and other improvements
around his property he will make
money that much faster. The more
money he thus makes the more he
will be able to spend in politics.
So l am just giving the Legislators
a hint, If they will lay off the Speak
er he will get along better in his real
estate operations and make money.
If he makes money he will have it to
spend when he becomes a Statewide
candidate? Can't everyone see? SO
why kill the big goose that is contem-
plating the laying of golden egg or
maybe several golden eggs? I ask
the legislators and politicians to
think it over. If they think it over
maybe they won't wear out the young
life of the Sps eker by their haunting
tactics.
Indeed, when l read of what they
have been doing to the Speaker at
Annapolis l am led to think of the
dance hall proprietor on the old from
tier who posted notice reading:
"Please don't shoot the piano play
er; he's doing his best"
Of course some members will re-
tort: 'But look what he has done to
u.s." A good retort, but the fact is
that the Speaker doesn't know any
better. He is still fairly young.
Jackson & Bichy
Doing Very Well
The weeks developments in the
fight among Baltimore Democrats
show that Howard Jackson and Char
lie Bichy have great strength. They
battle against strong combination
which is supposed to have the back
ing of the Governor with all the Of
fees at his command. Despite the
handicap they have held in line ff-
teen of the thirty-two Democratic
members of the City delegation in the