The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1915-03-12
THE REFERENDUM AMENDMENT.
The Midland Journal,
Rising Sun. Md.

Rising Sun. Md.
Gentlemen:
In recent letter to your own
and other papers in the State, l
pointed out the importance of the re-
ferendum constitutional amendment
to be sumitted to the electors of the
State this fall, and without repeat
ing its substance, will take this oc-
casion to say that its purpose is to
enable ten thousand voters of the
State or as to local laws, eight per
cent Of the citizens Of the County to
cause to be submitted to the voters
of the State or County as the case
might be, any law passed by the Leg
islature, with certain exceptions,
which may be petitioned by them to
be so submitted. Let me make a few
general observations.
Without particularizing, the State
of Maryland needs this amendment,
and may be in very urgent need of it
at the conclusion of any legislative
session. In every State where the
referendum exists it has been called
into play and acts which have been
passed by the Legislature and which
were contrary to the popular inter-
ests or desires have been checked
and repudiated at the polls. Mary
land does not differ from any Of them
with respect to the necessity.
The referendum, after all, is no
thing but exercise of power by its orr
ginal possessor. In every day life,
we think long while before we give
power of attorney to anybody to
bind and pledge US without referring
to us. We may appoint an agent to
do particular act. but we are not
given to appointing agents who may
control our liberty and our property
without giving us a chance to say
the last word. AS it is now, we elect
Legislature which has complete con-
troll over our liberty and our prop
erty, which may pass any obnoxious
law you please, without reference
to our desires. The referendum will
cure this and give the whole people
final control over their laws.
Of course, as to the vast majority
of laws, nobody cares very much one
way or the other, and laws of this
character will never go to the peo-
pie, but the odd law, the special law,
does affect the people seriously, and
the people should be able to exercise
control over it.
am not one who thinks that the
legislature deliberately intends to
jority. But the Legislature don't
know and can't do. Some proposition
comes up urged by noisy and in
sistent faction. The opposition is
silent or unexpressed. Noise pre-
walls, and law is enacted extreme
ly obnoxious perhaps to nine people
out of ten. Once on the Statute books
as things are today, its removal is
extremely difficult. A bill comes up
and is enacted, giving away import
ant franchises which the people
should preserve for themselves. Its
advocates have been shrewd, deter
mined and influential. Today the rights
of the people are gone so soon as the
bill receives the signature of the
Governor. Under the Referendum, the
people will have practically ninety
days within which to- examine and
consider what the Legislature has
done, and if the number we have
above stated, believes that the rights
of the people are being prejudiced,
it can appeal to the whole people and
get the voice of the majority which
will have full opportunity of under
standing exactly upon what they are
voting.
Propositions are made in the Legis-
lature, the effect of which is bound
to heavily increase our taxes. Active
Hobbies and interest speakers support
them. Without any popular test at
all, the proposition becomes law,
and the people find it out, its effect,
when they receive their tax bills.
Again the referendum will exercise
its staying power, and the people
will determine for themselves what
they want.
The people, taken as a whole, have
no axes to grind so far as legislation
is concerned. They do not put selfish
desires into bills and haunt the halls
of the General Assembly until those
bills become law. When laws, passed
in the interest of particular class
or section of the community, are sub
mitted to the whole community, the
interests of everybody are so differ
emit from the interests of the few
who obtain special privileges by their
pertinacity at Annapolis, that they
will take away those special privi-
leges through the referendum before
they become hardened into vested in
terests.
Win the people use wisely this
power If they have it in their hands ?
A short answer win be that. this is a
government Of the people, and the
people are entitled to act wisely or
unwisely, as they may see fit. and
that they are themselves the suffer-
ers from their own unwisdom, and
have means Of correcting it. But ex-
perience, fortunately, enables us to
say that we have nothing to fear
from the unwisdom of the people, if
they are allowed to exercise the ref
erendum. / shall desire to discuss
this question in future article.
JACKSON H. RALSToN.
Hyattsville, Md.