Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1909-08-19
WHAT WOULD BE JUST
REPRESENTATION?

what is known as the Just Rcpresen-
tation League, of which Mr.. DeCour-
sey w. Thorn is it's President. This
organization has had for it's purpose
the enlargement Of the representation
of Baltimore city in the Maryland
Legislature, both in the House and in
the Senate; and the newspapers OF
the city have been most vociferous in
r., ing claim to a representation about
double to what they, now have, and
CRYING about the unjust treatment
Ahat they have received at the hands
of the counties in the Legislature.
We have a letter from Mr.. Thorn,
which is of Il circular character, sent
out to all publishers in and through
ont the State, asking their opinion
,on the matter of Baltimore city hav-
ing increased representation, and Il
copy of bill which it would propose
to enact into a constitutional amend
ment at this coming session.
The city papers, and we think the
League as well, are taking an unjust
ifhle position and are attempting to
arraign the City against the Counties
and vice versa. On its face it may
seem that they are justified in laying
claim to what they ask, and, to the
average countryman who knows moth
ing about the situation, it may APP
pear that Baltimore is a very badly
treated town, that they get nothing
at all from the Legislature and that
whatever laws are made for them are
made by the county members with
out reference to what is wanted or
what is needed for the city.
Nothing could be more erroneous
or farther from the truth than this.
The writer of this article has been a
member of the Legislature and is able
to speak from some experiences had
while there, and with particular ref
erence to how Baltimore city Through
her delegation) acts and what she
gets. In the first place the present
delegation or representation 50 fire.
quently get at loggerheads that it is
quite difficult that Baltimore city gets
any legislation whatever. The coun-
ty members never interfere with what
Baltimore city may want. Just how
this matter would be remcdicd by
doubling their delegation it is n hard
matter to zee.
The people interested in the adj
ministration of affairs in Baltimore
city, at the opening Of the session,
generally send down pretty large
batch of measures that they desire
enacted into law; they 60 to the Bal
timore city delegation and they play
politics with the bill until the people
become enragcd and require them to
come to some agreement upon them.
This not only happens in one session
but happens every session; Just where
the counties are to be cenSured for
this it is hard to see. Baltimore city
would get no better representation
nor would she get any better laws
with twice the number of representa-
tives than she gets now, for, if they
are sincere in what they say, they
simply want within four or five of a
majority, and that would put them
in no better position than they are at
the present time if the counties would
stand solidly against the city.
We believe we see in the scheme an
effort to get absolute control Of legis-
lative matters, because it would be a
comparatively easy proposition, with
the number of representatives they
would have under this new bill, to
get four or five scattering votes from
the county members scattered over
the whole State; and, from the atti-
tude of Baltimore city, it would sim
ply mean that the counties could
dry up" fguratively speaking, 50
Tar as they were concerned, just 50
she got what she asked or demanded.
Great stress is laid upon the fact
that Baltimore city pays so much in
to the State Treasury and in return
gets SO little back, most selfish ar
gument indeed, and IL would seem,
from the arguments made, that the
counties contribute absolutely nothing
to the welfare of Baltimore city.
The Baltimore Sun is most ardent
in its advocating greater representa-