Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1883-12-28
A Constitutional Conventio n.


The diverse elements within the Demo.
cratic party of Maryland having been to all
appearance harmoniZed, and distracting per-
sonal antagonisms sunk In the large popular
majority at the November election, and pub
lie sentiment being in great measure uni
fed by the selection of members of the Leg
stature in every county pledged TO sincere
effort to repair all the breaches which bad
management, extravaganza, or political self
seeking have made In the ship of State, it
has been suggested by thoughtful men, and
much discussed and approved in well-in-
formed political circles, that one of the first
duties OF the General Assembly should be
ITO consacr the propriUty OF ealing COZ
stitutional Convention 10 revise and thor
oughly reform oni system of State govern
ment All three Of tLs con ventions which
have attempted to remodel the constitution
have been revolutionary. The constitution
OF 1851 was the result Of bitter civil strife
for new distribution of political power
and for larger popular voice In affairs
the convention OF 1864 was revolutionary
in the most odious sense of the term, ard
the convention of 1867 was a civil reaction
against that of 1854. II was indeed u body
Of able and fair-minded men, who did very
much to restore the right and to establish
justice, but the conditions under which they
labored were not entirely favorable to the
production Of u perfect work, and there are
many provisions which those men would
not have adopted in q season of political
tranquility. They themselves knew that
their work was in some respects crude and
incomplete, and therefore they required that
at the end of twenty years the Legislature
should invite the people 10 frame new
constitution, at the same time that they rec.
ognized the absolute right OF the people to
call for a revision whenever il might be ex-
pedient Every one must agree that the
deliberations over form of government
should be las dispassionate as possible When
standard of material measures is estab.
lished the man o. science conducts his work
in temperature of perfect uniformity, and
the statesman who is adjusting the machin-
cry by which TO measure aud protect justice,
right and human happiness, ought 10 be
none the less careful. Considerations of
this nature have led TO the advocacy of a
cali for a constitutional convention by the
Legislature during this winter. There GER
tainly never was time when there was less
OF fierce antagonism 10 blind mems judg-
ment about great principles or State exped-
iency, and the calm, thoughtful, earnest
affairs cannot be gratified by legislation |
alone. There are very many and most i'm. I
poftant things which can only be reformed /
by constitutional convention. Democratic /
sentiment is 50 far ascendant that il must |
exert controlling influence, while at the
same time the representation of Republican
opinions would he SO respectable as TO in.
sure that partisan considerations would be
prevented from exerting any undue force in
the distribution OF power amongst the vari-
Gus branches of State government. The
people have already sufficient experience
OF the defects Of the present constitution,
and are not little impatient under the
pressure OF some of those defects, 50 that
there is no reason why there should be any
delay for the purpose of ascertainng what
IL is proper to change There is no assur.
ance If the call of convention is postponed
to 1887 that there will then be such season
OF calm as now prevails, but on the con-
trary there are possibilities of agitation be-
fore that time arrives which may be very
uniavorable 10 making thoroughly com.
plete form of government. The argument
ON the score OF needless expense can have
no weight for the simple reason that con
vention In 1884 or 1885 would supersede the
call OF one in 1887, and of course the cost
~ Wv "S~ohy WYNN W nv iiiOiG III tut one
year than in the other, end in either case
very little more than the ordinary cost of n
session Of the Legislature, while on the
other hand the probable curtailment of use.
less offices, the consolidation of others and
the simplification Of the duties OF MANY
would be the means'of saving IRON the an.
nual expenditures in the next three wears
sum large enough TO defray considerable
portion OF the charge on the treasury, The
structure OF the State judiciary; the appor.
tlonment Of representation regulations for
Increasing the number and of rearrauginp
The territorial divisions of the State: remod.
cling the Board of Public Works, and de.
lining the control and interest OF the State
In works of internal Improvement, or. as
some propose, providing for permanent
divorce between the State aud the manage
ment OF all business enterprises; modfti.
cation OF the veto power which will enable
The Governor 10 veto unwholesome provis.
ions In law without destroying the whole
law Encouragement of the fiscal depart
ments aud sterner requirements in regard 10
The discharge Of public trusts; the better
preservation OF the sanctity and purity Of
slections--these are some OF the many sub.
ects In respect TO which the present consti.
'uticn, 1t is held, requires revision aud upon
which public opinion has in great degree
;rystsilized. But it is not our purpose 10