Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-09-24
POLITICIANS DISCUSS
THE CONVENTION
Annexation Problem UppermOst
Taking Slice Of Fifth
District by Baltimore.
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
Party Planks, Pledges and Promises.
President Wilson Endorsed.

The action of the Democratic State
Convention in Baltimore yesterday in
placing an annexation plank in its
platform. was much discussed in An
napolts today. The annexation prop
osition whereby Baltimore city desires
20 take over a part of the Fifth dis
trict of this county. together with sec
tions of Baltimore county. was agreed
TO by Blair Lee. during his primary
fight for the Democratic gubernatoriaI
nomination. and was used against him
during the fight in this county.
Following his defeat the action of
the party managers in putting his op-
ponent Emerson c. Harrington, before
the people with this plank in his plat
form has caused much discussion
However, the convention was forced TO
insert an annexation promise because
of the stand taken by Mayor Preston.
Frank Furst and other Baltimore CITY
leaders. This fight, which started in
the meeting of the committee on reso-
lutions. and after delaying the assem-
bling of the convention for several
hours, was renewed on the floor of the
convention, finally resulting in the
the placing of this plank in the plat
form:
"We declare In favor of legislation
that will secure 10 the City Of Balti.
more complete control of the harbOr
ana willbeSt promote the best CONNER
cial and Industrial welfare of the city
and OF such Legislation as will secure
I'm ~ fuIa f,fv.
the city and counties that may be af-
fected by ii reasonable extension of the
territorial limits OF the city"
The city. in making its fight, stood
out for fair treatment with the warn
ing that to- do otherwise might result
in a Republican victory in the fall
During the fight he waged on the floor
of the convention, Mayor Preston said
among other things:
II do not come here in the spirit of
the troublemaker But l warn you that
you must treat the city fairly Do not
be deceived by the $4,000 plurality
given me in the spring; do not be de-
ceived by the great plurality our party
has over the Republicans in this city
on the affiliated vote. We have had
that plurality on afTiliation for years,
but nevertheless. we have had serious
difficulty in carrying elections
You must deserve to win; that is the
thing you must depend upon. And. re-
member, you are going to find a wiley
and resourceful foe in the fall election.
You will need Baltimore citys aid.
The Eastern Shore has several thous-
and Democratic plurality on affiliation,
but Jesse Price barely carried it for
Congress last year Southern Maryland
has several thousand Democratic plu-
rality on afIiliation. but Sydney Mudd
carried it for the Republicans last
year"
In addition to the annexation prop
osition. the other main planks in the
platform are:
Endorsement of President Wilson and
the national Administration.
Appointment of commission. headed
by DR.. f. j. Goodnow, to prepare plan
for a reorganization and reform in the
States financial system.
A plan to abolish useless offices, to
eliminate waste and duplication, to in
stall the budget system and to enforce
the most rigid economy in the State
government and in the Legislature.
A plank promising the abolition of
the fee system wherever it can be done
without prejudice to economy and OF
efficiency
A pledge to extend the Baltimore
City Primary Election law to all the
counties and to abolish the envelope
system.
An Endorsement of the home rule
amendment and a pledge to enact the
necessary legislation to make it effec-
tive
A pledge TO introduce uniform sys-
TEN of accounting in all State offices
and to consolidate the State Fishery
Force, State Game Warden, Shellfish
Commission and State Forestry Board
into a conservation commission