Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1915-05-21
A Review OF Two More Constitu-
tional Amendments.

| Rome kule and the Referendum, They
are to be submitted to the people this fall
also two other amendments of possibly
not such vital Importance, but, neverthe-
less. of value in their respective fields.
The first amendment is one affecting Arti-
Gle is of the Declaration of Rights. govern
ing the question of taxation. This amend
ment, which largely follows the language of
the old provision, provides, however, as it did
not, for the classification and sub-classifi-
cation of land, improvements and personal
property by the General Assembly. and
that taxes thereafter to be levied shall be
uniform on land and uniform as to the
class or sub-classes Of Improvements on
land or personal property levied upon. The
existing article, now proposed to be
amended. became part of the Constitution
of Maryland in 1776. and has remained
unchanged in its verbiage from that day
to this. In this time the characteristics of
the State have changed entirely. Then
Maryland was a State containing few
wealthy and none extremely rich. most of
the population being of moderate means,
and almost entirely all farmers. The great
body of wealth was fairly evenly divided
and consisted almost exclusively of land
and improvements. Personal property was
slight in value and very restricted in
character. The average farmer had a few
crude instruments Of cultivation and the
houses of the town dwelers were few in
number and were scantily furnished. The
population was largely clothed in home
spun. Books were few and organizations
of industry were primitive. The rule which
was adopted at that time, and has theoreti-
cally existed up to the present. that taxa
ton upon all classes of property should be
equal, when adopted inflicted no particular
hardship or injustice.
With the changed times, the Court of
Appeals. in repeated decisions and for the
purpose of giving effect to legislative at
tempts to get away from the constitutional
rule, has winked at repeated violations of
the Constitution. This should no longer
be the case. If the equal taxation Of all
classes of property, irrespective of the
effects on the community at large. is preju-
dicial, as undoubtedly it is. our Constitu-
ton should provide for classification under
uniform rules, not allowing any institution
or person to be the beneficiary of special
favors from the Legislature
On the other hand, If all property en-
braced within given class should be
taxed, the community should not be preju-
diced by special exemptions.
Students Of taxation throughout the
United States, in their annual conventions,
have recognized the necessity of cOnstitu-
tional provisions such as those embodied
In the proposed amendment. and our State
Tax Commission has taken positions look
Ing in the same general direction.
We need thoroughly modern and up-to-
date constitution in matters of taxation
for there is nothing more vital to the in
terests of every individual citizen, and
doubtless it was with this thought in view
that the last Legislature determined to
submit this particular proposition to the
people Of the State.
One other proposition to be voted on this
fall remains to be considered. This would
grant to the General Assembly the power
TO provide by suitable general enactment
for the suspension of sentence by the
Court in criminal cases for form of in
determinate sentence in criminal cases
and for release upon parole in whatever
manner the General Assembly may pre-
scribe.
AS we become more humane and more
considerate Of the rights OF others, we dis
cover that our criminal courts are often
harsh in their treatment Of criminals and
that our penalties prescribed for crime in
an inelastic way often serve neither to
reform the unfortunate who has been found
guilty Of crime nor to terrify evil disposed
persons. We find too often that our laws
turn accidental criminals into permanent
members of the criminal class, and that
thereafter the wrong which we inflict upon
them not merely injured them but returns
to plague society.
The thought underlying this amendment
is one Of consideration for the least fortu-
nate and often disregarded members of
society II offers to them chance to re-
form, and gives them the hope that when
they have become duly disciplined they will
once more have a chance to show them
selves to be capable of being useful to
themselves and to their fellOw-men. The
purpose Of this amendment is consequently
to enable the State to avail itself of the
latest studies in penoloey. and will uti-
mately put Maryland in this respect on
par with the leading States Of the Union.
in all matters relating to the treatment Of
criminals.
Having thus briefly reviewed in your
columns all Of the Constitutional Amend
ments proposed this fall. ! trust il will be
agreed that by their adoption Maryland
will in matters Of local lf-government.
State government. taxation and social con-
troll demonstrate the citizens today are
worthy successors Of those who one hun
bred and forty years ago contributed to
make 1t an independent and h0nored MEM
Der Of a new and glorious political COM
munity.
JACKSON II. RALSTON
Hyattsville, Md.
Importance OF Healthy Kidneys.
Rockville Readers Should Learn to Keep
the Kidneys Well.
The kidneys have big work to do. All
tho hInnd Ia tho hoH,, ia couraind thSoudh