Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1915-04-02

the respective jurisdictions which
shall be known in Baltimore as the
City Council, and in the counties a.
the Comfy Council. This body, |
which may meet during one month
Of any year, may pass all necessary
local, laws, having power also to re-
peal or amend local laws enacted by
the General Assembly. Its detailed
powers shall be such, however, as
the General Assembly shall at its
next session prescribe, and the Cen
eral Assembly may extend or modify
or repeal the same.
The voters, by their adoption Of a
character, shall have power to fix the
number, compensation, powers and
duties Of the County Commissioners,
and generally as it may be stated 20
control the forming and operations
of the county government.
The charter which may be adopt
ed by the people Of the County will
be subject to change under an initia-
tive, which will call for the signature
Of twenty per cent Of the registered
voters of the county, or not to ex-
coed ten thousand, the provision as
to a fixed number, of course, apply
ing il effect only to Baltimore City,
snd when a proposition is so made,
it shall be submitted to the voters of
the City or County at the next gen.
eral or Congressional election.
One Of the greatest governmental
evils IN the State of Maryland has
rested in the fact that the LegI la
ture of the State instead of devoting
its thought and attention to matters
Of real public interest, has had its
time taken mp with the most trivial
county affairs. Serious thought and
work for the benefit Of the whole
body of the State has been material
ly interfered with and the purpose
Of the creation Of the Legislature
largely defeated. This may be IT,
Illustrated by the fact that the last
Legislature passed S64 bills, the i'm
mense majority Of which related to
county affairs. 1t also passed twelve
Joint resolutions and directed the
submission Of FIVE constitutional
amendments. Furthermore. each |
House was called upon to pass a
large number Of orders relating par
iicularly to the conduct of its busl-
ness.
1t was. of course, impossible that any |
large number Of the members could |
give particular attention to the several
bills upon which they voted, the more
so as nearly all of the work was crowd |
ed into the last thirty days of the ses-
sion. Nor could members of the Leg
stature take large degree of interest
in the things with relation to which
they acted. Can we imagine for exam
ple that the delegates from Baltimore
City cared anything about an act pro-
vidlng for license tax on dogs to Gre |
ate fund to protect the sheep indus
try in Garrett county, or that the dele
gates from Garrett county we're inter-
ested in a bill providing for the repairs
of the public roads in Calvert county
The delegates from Wicomico county
have no large interest In bill for
school house for colored children at
lCove Point in Calvert county, nor in
the disposition that Hartford county
might make of part of its Almshouse
liam. For the consideration of all
these subjects, however, the time Of
the Legislature of the State of Mary
land was commanded at the last session.
The proposition is a simple one and
should appeal to every citizen of the
State from whatever part he comes
Baltimore City should be entitled to
take care of her own affairs in such
manner as seems meet to her citizens.
Prince Georges county should attend
to its affairs without interference or
control from Baltimore City. The
liberty that we want for ourselves we
should readily grant to others. 1t is
only by the full exercise of liberty on
the part of all that we learn to know
aud to avail ourselves of its benefits
and to guard against its possible abuses.
We ought not to be children held in
leading strings controlled by outsiders,
but, for good or for ill, full grown men
exercising aud developing our political
powers in the manner our theory Of
government contemplates.
The constitutional amendment we
have described is by no means perfect,
nor was it to be anticipated that first
effort toward this kind of local free
dom would lie perfect in all its details.
I, As stated, or instance, it provides for
an initiation under which the county
charter or the charter of the City of
Baltimore laws passed under it may
be amended. SO high percentaee is
asked as to render this initiative except
perhsps in the case of the City of Bal
timore almost unavoidable. Ten per
cent, at the outside in the case Of
counties, should be able to initiate and
thereby set under way at the hands of
the people any measure of local reform.
Twice that number, as we stated, is
required. The constitutional amend
ment, however, is to be accepted de-
spite this defect because after all, al
though haltingly, it does recognize the
right of the people to govern them
selves in local affairs through the init
alive, aud perfection of detail may be
left for the future.
shall hope, on another occasion,
to continue discussion with relation
to this, and the other proposed consti-
tutional amendments.
JACKSON H. RALSTON,
IIyattsyille, Nd.