The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-03-10

they feel that they are pledged to it.
There are dozens of men who wish
the bill creating a public utilities COM
mission had died in the brain which con-
ceived it, because it is vicious, harm
full, inquisitorial, imperialistic, undemo-
cratic, expensive, wholly unnecessary,
and concentration of power in one
body, but because a few men, who
were wholly unfamiliar with the vast
problems involved, thought the advocacy
of the proposed commission would be
popular issue, it was made part of the
platforms of both parties. If the lead
ers had chance to guide again the de-
/ alterations of the conventions which
/ promised the bill, it is doubtful if they
would have sanctioned the insertion of
the planks. Certainly they would
have defined their idea so that the pres
ent drastic bill could not have been con-
strued even by the wayfaring man,
though fool, as a fulflment of the
party promise.
Even after the plank had been insert
ed in the party platforms and stump
speakers were waving their arms and
| indulging in vItuperation and plautudes
the proposition was not discussed, nor
was 1t discussed seriously until the Gov
ernor's cabinet looked into it. 1t was
not dissccted untiLthe House Judiciary
/ Committee had to deal with a bill Gre
ating the commission. A great white
light was seen by many members, but,
10! there stood the platform promise,
and despite the shortcomings, the alb
surdities and other undesirable features
of the bill many members feel in honor
bound to support 1t. 1t is because of
the platform promise, which in some
instances mas been used as a club, the
| bill has a chance of becoming a law,
though in a greatly modified form.
They may be some Republicans who
! will support it because it is a platform
promise, not realizing that the commits
sion as proposed would, IN competent
/ Democratic hands, be a most powerful
machine to grind the Republican party
into pieces. There are Independent
Democrats who will stand for 1t,
little realizing that the regular or
ganization will control the commission
and utilize it to bring them under the
yoke.
There are Democratic lawyers in both
houses who will subordinate their legal
acumen and training and who will ig-
more their oath to support and defend
the Constitution who will support it be-
cause they regard it as party pledge,
and yet the whole thing is unconsttu-
tlonal because it delegates legislative
functions to body created by the leg
islature.
The Maryland Court of Appeals has
declared itself against this principle in
+ the case OF Bradshaw VS.. Lark ford (73
Md. page 43O), In that case the court
said:
Now it can hardly be necessary to
say that, by the Constitution of this
state, the power to enact laws belongs
to the General Assembly, composed of
the Senate and the House of Delegates;
and this being so, it is a well-settled
principle of constitutional law that the
power thus delegated cannot be redele-
gated to the people themselves. Our
government is representative govern
ment, and to the members of the Cen
eral Assembly the people have confided
the power to pass such laws as they in
the exercise of their judgment may
deem best for the public interests; and
they have no power to substitute the
judgment of others in matters of legis-
lation for the judgment of those to
whom this sovereign trust has been
committed.
Certainly the bills to repeal the eX-
elusive privileges which the gas and af-
filiated companies have enjoyed for sew
eral years are in no way parts of the
platforms OF elther party, and yet they
are held forth as embodying party prin-
ciples. The discovery of the great
monopoly is surprising. The men who
are now favoring the repeal bills have
known of it's existance for many years,
but have made no effort tooverthrow it.
The Democrats are beginning to
tation for Baltimore by substituting a
bill prepared by a county senator, Mr..
Price, of Wicomico, for bills prepared
by city senators which are in conformi-
ity with the platform promises. Again,
Governor Crothers stands squarey by
the party platform.
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