The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-03-02

task remaining before us-that from
these honored dead we take increased
devotion to that cause for which they
gave the last full measure of devotion
that we here highly resolve that these
dead shall not have died in valn-that
this nation, under God, shall have a
new birth OF freedom and that govern
ment of the people, by the people, for
the people. shall not perish from the
earth. And the bill now before the
Senate of Maryland, through which the
people of this State desire to exercise
in the highest type of example the
authority bequeathed to them by the
immortal Lincoln, is but an outgrowth
of the principle of government
thoroughly imbued in their hearts and
minds, Let US not ignore its presence
or try to set it at naught. The same
spirit that prompted the burning of
Peggy Stewart near this city and that
dictated this sentence in the Declaration
of Independence. that Governments
are Instituted among men. deriving
their just powers from the consent of
the governed" the same religious be-
lief upon the part of the citizenship of
Maryland, with a more advanced
method, repeat. knocks today upon
the doors of the Legislature of Mary
land, demanding the rights conferred
in the bill now before this Senate. Let
US not play the part of King George
III of England, imbecile as history tells
US that he was.
A FORECAST.
There are members of this body who
look forward to political advancement
and public preference which must come
from the electorate. In this connection,
| desire to point out that those of US
who disregard and trample under foot
the fundamental principles of govern
ment by the people to which have been
calling attention. Those who do these
things. state, shall go on record as
disregarding and ignoring the covenants
made with our constituencies, who shall
later demand explanation and with all
our explaining shall never be explained
away. And with the highly advanced
educational equipment of our people
back home who know we'll their own
rights under our system Of government,
the inability to explain away our incon-
sistencies shall only be more highly in
tensifed and they shall serve as boom
/ erangs that will cause our political
downfall. Every avenue of escape is
open to the Senator who votes in favor
of this measure, but the door of public
. esteem will be closed in the face of him
who opposes 1t, for the electorate Of
Maryland will suspicion that we as
members OF tins body have deprived
them of certain privilege, and every
member, like the wife of Caesar, should
be above suspicion. Furthermore, by
voting in favor of this measure, we
vitalize again the principle get forth in
the Declaration of independence quoted
awhile ago, that Governments are in
stituted among men, deriving their just
powers from the consent of the govern
ed. - and by defeating this bill we are
ourselves las members of this body usurp-
ing powers without the consent of
the governed; for, if we were not, we
would have no hesitation whatever in
permitting this bill to go at once before
the electorate of Maryland. But some
will oppose it for fear that the results
would not be in harmony with their own
desires, when this in fact has no bear
ing upon the present question before this
Senate, yet that reason only intensifies
the point have just made-that we
are usurping powers that are not ours
in even trying to block this measure in
its very beginning. Let the Senator
who comes from a wet county or district
vote in favor of the bill, thus showing
/ him to be man of such heightened
mental horizon that Maryland is home,
and that home rule is strong within him,
and that the Legislature of Maryland
stands primarily for the government of
the entire State, and that it derives its
1 just powers only from the consent of
/ the governed. Let the Senator Welcomes
from a county or district that is evenly
divided upon this question of wet or
dry, vote in favor of the present bill.
for his escape lies in permitting the
electorate to decide the question for
themselves, with which decision only
will the electorate be content. Let the
Senator who comes from a county or
district that is Indifferent or quiescent
upon the liquor problem vote in its
favor, for in so doing he shall become a
recognized leader, crystallizing thought,
IS well as obeying and vtalizing the
fundamental laws of government by
the people, to which we have previous
ly called attention. Let the Senator
who does not know just how to vote,