The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1891-09-25
Constitutional Amendment No. 4.

Constitutional Amendment No. 4.
Probably no one of the proposed amend
ments to our State Constitution affects the
local interests Of the people more directly
than Amendment No. 4. The effect of this
amendment is to give the Legislature power
to extend the terms of the County Commits
sioners to periods not exceeding six years,
and to provide, if the Legislature in its wis
dom shall deem expedient, that the terms of
no two members of the board shall expire at
the same time.
The Constitution as it now stands provides
that the terms of the County Commissioners
shall be two years, but empowers the Legisla-
ture to prescribe their number, compensation,
powers and duties. Whether a county has
three, five or q dozen Commissioners they
must all be elected every two years. The
only change which the amendment would
make would be that the Legislature could, if
it were thought desirable, provide that part
of the board only shall be elected every two
years. For instance if the Legislature declar-
three commissioners, it might also provide
that one member should be elected every two
years and hold Office for six years. Thus
there would always be two members of the
board who were experienced in the manage
ment of county affairs, and never any danger
of an entirely new and inexperienced board
being elected at the same time.
The County Commissioners occupy, as far
as the local interests of the county are con-
cerned, most important position. They
levy the taxes and expend the money of tax
payers. They have charge of all the proper
tY of the county, including roads, bridges and
public buildings. They order bridges to be
built; they open, alter or close public roads
and appropriate money for their repair.
They are required to maintain courts, by pro-
viding for the compensation of jurors and
State witnesses, court officials and all other
expenses incident to the administration of
justice. They levy taxes to support our pub
lie schools and appoint judges of election,
road supervisors and constables. In short all
the public machinery of the county is in their
hands.
1t is well-established fact that practical
knowledge of the affairs of the county can
only be gained by experience. Under the
plan of an election every two years, by the
time commissioner is familiar with the man
fold duties of the Office and begins to see
how interests of the public may be btst pro-
toI hio hoe nd ba ho
replaced by another who has to learn his
duties, also, by experience, and SO the ball
keeps rolling while the public'suffers.
There is a growing disposition on the part
of the Legislature to confer upon County
Commissioners more powers than they now
have. Much of the costly time of the Legis-
lature is wasted upon matters affecting only
the people of a certain county-matters about
which delegates from other counties know
little and care less 1t has been proposed to
board ofcounty commissioners, making them,
in fact, local legislatures for the considera-
ton and adjustment of purely local affairs. 1t
frequently happens that delegations to the
Legislature secure the passage of local laws
compelling county commissioners to do GER
tain things and the responsibility for unwise
legislation is placed upon the commissioners
and not upon the Legislature, where it pro-
perly belongs.
Besides, county members are often coerced
into voting for laws of doubtful propriety by
the threat that if they do not local legislation
of vital interest to their constituents will be
defeated.
If this fourth amendment is adopted it
will be in the power of the Legislature to
remedy many of the evils complained of. 1t
does not compel change. 1t only author
ICES the Legislature to make change if the
people of county desire it.
On the subject of this amendment the Bal
timore Sun says
"The proposed amendment does not itself
make any changes in the present constitu-
ton, powers or duties of the county COM
missioners. 1t simply enlarges the control
of the Legislature over the subject. and
makes an enlargement of the powers of the
commissioners by future legislation safe
and practicable thing, by enabling the Legis-
lature to extend the term of the commission
ers from the present limit of two years to
period not exceeding six, and also to pro-
vide that all the commissioners shall not 60
out of office or be elected at the same TIME.
-Ex-Congressman William L. Scott, of
Pennsylvania, died suddenly at Newport,
Rhode Island, last Saturday night. He was
in his Gath year. His first employment was
in Erie, Pa, as shipping clerk, at the age
of20. Two years later, engaging in the coal
and shipping business on Lake Erie, he pros
pered, invested in iron furnaces and coal
mines, built and owned railroads and became
very wealthy. He was always Democrat.
He served two years in Congress and was a
close adviser of President Cleveland in Penn
sYlvania affairs. He is said to have been
very kind and generous to those in his en-
ploy. He owned large truck farm at Cape
Charles, Va.