Evening journal., 1909-07-29
Thursday, July 20. 1909
CITIES AND LEGISLATURES.

~
IA formed in Maryland for the purpose OF
securing a larger representation for the city OF
Baltimore in the Legislature. 1t IS proposed 10
amend the constitution. The League believes
that Baltimore has not the membership IN lne
Legislature TO which il IS entitled II the uli,
as prepared by the League should be passed ana
the constitution amended Baltimore would nave
Is members of the General Assembly as COM
pared with 28 at present The other counties OF
the state put together would have 1o7 members
instead of 100 as at present
Baltimore city now has four Senators and -
members of the lower House. Under the pro-
visions of the bill as proposed ythe League,
representation in the Legislature would increase
automatically, according to the growth OF popu-
lation but the counties outside OF Baltimore
would always have at least OF per cent OF the
membership. Baltimore could never nave
majority in the Legislature
In support of the proposed constitutional
amendment it is argued that Baltimore has
almost so per cent. of the total population OF
MARYLAND and that somewhat more than halt OF
the assessed value of the property in the state IS
in the city And yet in view of these facts the
city has not quite IS per cent. OF the members
of the Legislature.
Some OF the rural newspapers OF Maryland
are inclined to favor the work ef the League
which is being directed by committee OF One
Hundred 1t is highly probable, however, that
the representation demanded by the League VIII
not be granted But the rural counties may
agree to an increase in the city representation.
Ii the League thinks that Baltimore gets only
a trihe in Legislative representation, what would
il think of Wilmington? We are somewhat IN
the same position with regard TO the rest OF the
state as is Baltimore, with the Maryland rural
counties We do not fare so well as Baltimore
does at present
Wilmington. according to the last census had
a population Of 76,soS, and the rest OF the state
had population of IoSI27 The new census
will probably show considerably greater IN
crease in the population of Wilmington as COM
pared with that OF the counties. But in this
state Wilmington has only seven of the nifty
two members of our Legislature, not a seventh
of the membership. Before the Constitutional
Wilmington had only two members,
one Representative and one State Senator Ihis
plan OF small city representation IS sull en-
ploved bv the Democrats in their State Conven-
ton The city has but small comparative mem
bership in the State Conventions In the Repuo-
lcan conventions the city is much better repre-
sented If Baltimore, with almost one-tourth OF
the membership of the General Assembly, IS
dissatisfied. what should Wilmington be- In
fact. a Wilmingtonan would regard Baltimore
as lucky.
The Maryland agitation, however, is not likely
to reach Delaware. The rural districts for many
reasons will not permit the cities to have repre-
sentation in accordance with their population.
In no place do cities have such representation.
If the Baltimore League should get what it is
after, its success would show remarkable
change in rural sentiment with regard to city
representation in the Legislatures.