The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1929-03-07
THE PASSING SHOW
By the Man In The Street

of the lawyers hired by Governor
chic in the so-called roads "inves-
:ation" to jam Lawyer Richard B..
ppett and his former client, Thomas
). Butler, now serving prison term
[; one Of the head men in the loot
lg of the Roads Commission treas
ry.
The thing was boldly done, this
badgering of the witness Butler and
the bringing forth a cancelled check
in an effort to show that Lawyer Tip
petit had accepted from Butler as a
fee for his defense money known to
have been stolen.
The attempt, bold as it was, failed,
for it was stated and not refuted that
the money had been raised on mort
gage. But the attempt gave an indi-
cation of the. length to which the
state administrations people are 60
ing in their effort to balk a full in
vestigation. 1t must have been cheer
ing to those who want to see whole
sale corruption which has marked the
Richie administration cleared up to
see that Lawyer Tippett directed the
attention of the public to Attorney
Baetjer's transparent effort to pro-
tect the former chairman of the roads
commission. To the public, from the
beginning, Mr.. Baetjer has appeared
to be defense counsel rather than an
Investigator.
Butler, turning States evidence,
has been a chief witness for the pros
ecution and it is this witness against
whom the Richie forces have direct
ed their most strenuous efforts. They
want to break him down because he
has been letting out some of the
wholesale rottenness of the admin
Stration.
The big question now is not about
the roads administration, for the av-
erage citizen knows that it has been
very rotten and that the efforts to
cover up this rottenness have made
it smell the worse. The real question
is now the party effect.
Of course, the State administration
being credited to the Democratic par
ty, that party gets the blame for the
scandal even though it is not half SO
lo1 &c h.
party as a scandal of the compare
lively small Richie group which has
been running the State for nine years
with the aid Of Republican votes.
But the Governor, in his great wis
dom, picked Edwin G. Baetjer, lead
ing corporation lawyer and known
Republican, as his chief counsel in
the case. At first it was thought Mr..
Baetjer was to help investigate
the Nelligan committee which COM
mittee was already headed by very
strong friend of the administration.
But he has developed into defender
of the State administration and that
is to some extent gain for the Gov
ernor, who is being credited with
great skill in having brought the Re-
publican Mr. Baetjer to his aid.
Talk on the Streets
Is Growing in Volume
Of course there is great talk about
it on the streets and it seems that be-
fore it is all over there may be a
scandal within a scandal. But the
Democrats who profited by the roads
administration are hoping that the
participation of Mr.. Baetjer in the
effort to break down the chief wit
ness for the prosecution will have the
effect of hamstringing the Republi-
can party in the State election next
year.
A month ago it seemed that the
table was all set for the Republicans
and that the Gubernatorial nominal
ton would not be worth a tinker's
dam to the Democrats. But many
now see in the Baetjer activities in
behalf of the Democratic State ad-
ministration a tarring of the Repub-
licans with the Democratic stick.
1t is true that there is another Re-
publican lawyer more or less in the
mess and that is Alexander Arm
strong, former Attorney General.
Some of Mr.. Armstrong; friends be-
moan the fact that he accepted en-
ployment from the Richie machine
in this matter but am told that Mr..
Armstrong looks upon it as purely
professional matter. Be that as it
may, the fact is that if Mr.. Arm
strong thinks of running for Cover
nor again las some say he does) his
participation in the Annapolis mess
may easily hurt him unto his polit-
ical death. His best friends do not
like to see him put in position where
it may appear that he is a party to
the washing of the Richie dirty lin
en-.
1t is true that the Democratic law
yers at Annapolis do not give Mr..
Armstrong much chance to do any
thing, and it seems that if he wishes