The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1931-04-17
STEAM ROLLER POLITICS

SIEAM hOLLEh 1VAA4AOC
Cecil County Delegation Issues
Statement
The Cecil delegation issues the
following statement, showing the
steam roller methods resorted to in
order to force passage of the 81, 0OO,-
600 road bond measure, over which
there has been so much controversy:
We, the undersigned members of
the Cecil county delegation in the
House of Delegates at the session
which closed Monday night, feeling
that the taxpayers and voters should
know about our action on Senate Bill
No. rs, known as the Cocil County
Roads Bond Bill, which was so widely
discussed during past weeks, declare
and say that Senator Williams from
our county, would not meet, what
we believe was, and is the senti-
ment Of the people of Cecil county.
We received petitions singed by
about 1900 people in Cecil county,
over 1900 of whom declared they
were against a Bond Issue. We also
received probably 800 letters and
kilograms, more than two-thirds of
which urged us to vote against the
bond issue. Notwithstanding these
facts, on or about March 9th (before
we had the bill in our possession,
we had amendments drawn up, which
provided for a referendum on the
bill. On several occasions we asked
Senator Williams if he would accept
a referendum, but never got favor
able reply.
On Friday, March 9th, 1891, we
were ready to report the bill out un.
favorable. That day, Senator Will
liams came over to the House
while it was in session and request
ed us to hold up the report until
Monday, thus giving him an oppor-
tunity to confer with advocates of
the bill, with view of agreeing
to referendum. We consented.
When Monday night arrived we call
ed upon the Senator, while he was
in the office of the Secretary of the
Senate States Attorney Rollins be-
ing presently and we again asked
him if he was ready to agree to a
referendum. The answer was not
favorable-he stating that he was
going to Wash his hands of the
whole thing, and concluded his re-
marks by saying: II have not
yet had an opportunity of comforting
with Mr.. Frank Clapp, the head of
the movement for the Bond Issue.
Still desiring to give him an oppor-
tunity to agree on the plan to SUBJ
init the issue to the people of Cecil
county to decide, we told him we
would hold the bill until Thursday.
When that day arrived, we held the
bill in our possession until the clos
ing night Of the session, when it was
petitioned out-the petition being
handed in by a member of the House
from Wicomico county, who by the
way, is Road Contractor.
We, all three believe that great
majority of the people of Cecil
county, were against a Bond Issue
and our action, was in accord with
what we considered the proper thing
to do-to act in accordance with the
wishes of the big majority.
We do not claim to be Solomons or
have the wisdom or knowledge of
one, but we did what we believe was
the proper and just thing, when all
angles were considered.
A person might ask why we did
not amend the Bill in the House, by
attaching a referendum. This is but
a natural question when one does not
understand the workings of the Sem
ate and House..
We did not do so because we could
not obtain promise from our Sena-
tor that he would concur. Should
the Bill have been amended in the
House and the Senate failed to con-
cur in same it would have meant a
conference between committees from
the two Houses-and that is when
we considered we would have been
tricked. If you should have under
stood conditions. we feel you
would have acted likewise.