The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1915-02-26
MIR. Ralston on the Referendum
To the Editor of the Prince
Georges ENQUIRER.

To the Editor of the Prince
Georges Enquirer:
The election of this coming fall, al
though the fact is not generally recog-
nzsd, is more important so far as
State affairs are concerned, than any
election we have had for great many
years, and this, not because of the Off.
GERS to be chosen, but because for the
first time since at least the adoption of
the last Constitution. the citizens Of
Maryland have an opportunity to re.
invest themselves with some of the
power which in their Constitution they
have Invested themselves. l say this
because there will be four Constitution
al amendments voted upon, the gene
raj tendency of all of which is to give
the people greater liberty concerning
their own affairs. The amendment
which most interests me and which
probably in the long run will prove to
be the most important is, in my judy
ment, that which will secure the right
of referendum, as i. is called, to the
citizens of the State.
For many years, we have been ia
miliar, more or less, with the terms
| Initiative and Referendum" A prop
sition was submitted to the last Gene
raj Assembly looking to so amending
| the State Constitution as to give both
| these powers to the people. By the
closest possible division Of opinion in
the Senate, three-fifths being necessary
to pass. and one vote lacking, the I'M
tative was not submitted: but the ref
| endum was, by a practically unanimous
vote in the Senate and considerably
/ khon tho nacaaaarv throa fSff @
vote in the House.
| begin with that the people should un-
| d srstand exactly what the referendum,
on which they are to vote, contemplat.
es. It is proposed that no law except
an emergency law for the immediate
preservation Of the public health OF
safety shall 60 into effect until the frs,
day of June next after the session a,
which it may lie passed, but If before
such day, ten thousand citizens Of the
State, not more than half Of whom shall
be residents of Baltimore City, or OF
any one County, shall petition that the
law be referred to the people, then it
| does not become q law or take effect
until thirty days after its approval by
a majority of the voters voting thereon
at the next resulting election. If. how.
ever, more than half, but less than the
whole number of signatures to CON-
| plete any referendum petition shall be
filed with the Secretary of State be.
fore the first day of June, the time for
the law to take effect and for filing the
remainder of the signatures to complete
the petition is extended fer thirty days.
| No measure creating or abolishing an
| no nin q nv
| duties of any officer or granting any
franchise, or special privilege, OF
| C 1eating any vested right or interest
shall be enacted az an mergency law
ANY increase in appropriations may, as
TO The increase, be referred 20 the
p. ople. A referendum upon local laws
on petition of eight per cent of the
voters is also provided.
The idea of referendum to the
people of this country is yer,
alton of our government. Consti
tutions and amendments to constitu
lions have been referred to populs
vote innun cradle times. Laws hav,
been referred to tho people under ex
press provisions of the Constitution, bu
until of late years, the people have no
themselves been allowed to challeng'
directly the action of legislature ant
review or confirm it. One man in tn
person of Governor has had it within
his power by direct or POCKET veto t
suspend or defeat the final enactmen
of the law, but this imperial power ha
b zen thought. till lately, incaDable o
exercise by any percentage or by eve
majority of the people who wer
benefited by or might suffer from tn
enactment Much as we have talked @
the beauties of popular government
devoted, as we have believed, oul
selves to be, to Republican forms an
Democratic methods, we have Blind
conferred our powers of legislatio
upon representatives whose actions "
have not controlled. We have Above
4 our legislatures to determine with sue
/ light as they may at the moment POI
t sess, questions vitality affecting our lii
/, erty or happiness and our property an
D the we'll being of those who were
4 succeed US Our scanty hold upon the
has been in our ability to repeal the
errors at a succee ding legislature, AZ
often this has come too late to be
practical value, or the succeeding legi