Catoctin clarion., 1899-12-14
Initiative and Referendum.

A body, known as the Direct 41e9'S-
latiye Association of Maryland, has set
out to modify legislation IN this State
They begin oy proposing an amend
nent to Section 30, Article III, OF the
Constitution; the amendment providing
That the people expressly reserve to them
selves the right to propose laws QncUulpg
Constitutional amcndmchts) which the Eeh
eral Assembly shall pass and submit 10 Il
vote of the electors of the State for maj en-
actment, and also the right to require lhal
any laws which the legislature may nave
enacted shall he submitted TO vote OF the
electors of the State or OF the county or ihu-
nicipalty with relation 10 which said laws
shall be enacted before they go INTO elecl
Except such laws as may he necessary iol
the immediate preservation OF thc puo!lc
peace, health and safety or support OF the
State government and its existing public IN.
stitulions,) provided that not more than D
per cent. OF the registered voters OF the state,
county or municipality shall be required 10
invoke either the initiative or referendum
This section shall not he construed so as 10
deprive the General Assembly, or any mem
Der thereof, of the right to propose any law
The veto power of the Governor Shall moi
be exercised as to laws passed upon by the
people. This section shall apply to counties,
municipalities and their governing bodies
All laws not of the excepted character here
inbcfore described Except laws submitting
Constitutions. amendmcnts) passed by the
General Assembly shall be suspended in Their
operations until vote by the people-by the
filing with the Secretary Of State before June
lst next, after the session at which they may
be passed, of Il petition signed by no more
than 5 percent of the registered electors OF
I c State praying for their submission to .
general vote, and a like petition on the part
of the voters Of any county or municipality
aft tctcd by any public local law and flied
with the County Commissioners or Legislative
ppwer of any municipality shall have a like
suspensive effect. The General Assembly
shall at once enact suitable legislation tor
carving into effect the provisions OF the sec
ton.
4 is further provided that the amendment
proposed to the Constitution Shall be sub
mItted to The voters at the next general cleo
lion and he printed on the official ballot, as
all other proposed Constitutional amend
ments are printed"
We believe that the general principle
involved is correct one, but we find
that they follow the beaten track of
ultra-retormer in this that the latitude
given the proposed new departure is
unwarranted and will certainly prove
to be wholly impracticable: for instance,
the exception, found in the first par
enthetc clause Of the above, is too
loosely worded-not sufficiently speCi-
fc-and if framed in language no more
defnitive, will result in much confu
sion, laws intended to come under the
exception being claimed referable to the
people and vicc versa. Again, that so
few as five per cent shall be able to in.
woke the referendum in state, county or
municipality, is in ourjudgment at var
lance with the principle of responsible
representative government and beyond
that viii likely prove impractlcab(e IN
that there viii be scarcely an item OF
legislation against whioh wiz not be
found as much as FIVE per cent Of the
people in opposition. The result Of this
would be the reference to vote Of prac-
ticaly every law passed by the Legis-
lature. As we have said, we favor the
method Of initiative and referendum,
more particularly in local matters
county and municipal-as in these the
local representatives in the Assembly
are as RUE permitted to wholly direct
and control such legislation and are ,un-
fortunately, at times subject to infuen-
ces not IN accord with the pubic inter
est, but we shall not favor the adoption
Of so radical a departure from the prin-
cipIo of responsible representative gov
ernment as that to be inaugurated an
der the pla1 as above set forth. 1t
would be weU to introduce the method
by being careful and specific in the
naming of lesser number OF matters
in which the referendum may be in
voked; as to the initiative there is less
to fear in the matter Of impracticabiAty.