The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1917-02-23

N ents, the government Of the City .
Baltimore, have all right ~ levy tax. !
upon whatever they may find In he just
ly subject to taxation, and not to l"vy
them when such levy is against ihe best
interests of the people. The Usnr~s
interests of Baltimore, great and slHa !,
and her home owners, 90 not s't'm 81
have discovered this fact or, il tHtG
have discovered it, lack the cuui':l.a
and independence t. insist upon l'le
advantages it gives theiu. rather pr.-
fer to believe that, like Baltim"' rs Il
whole, they are only asleep.
Every town in Germany ant am It
every town in England retogn'Zci tint
public franchise belong to I'll" WI ! c
and preserves this common veal h 10
the commonwealth. In Til, country,
Cleveland aud Toleio have wakrd up
over this subject and can ALREADY she"
results. Chicago has been agj!aled Nut
accomplished something San Frauc;aco
is finding a remedy. Baltimore, t" he
extent of millions and tens Of mill ems
Of dollars in value, without T. thou-ht
or word turns over these franchises -
private companies for cXp!njtati. II.
Baltimore sleeps on. No CtnIiAu
dreams disturbs her sumber. If sno
were more hopeful.
When we turn To political conditions,
we find that Baltimore has retained her
double barreled City Council, although
such system has been discarded in al
most every progressive town III uhe
whole United States. Baltimore. pnr-
sues the good old plan Of treating pub
lie appointive office as the properly If
the highest cf1icials tenn poI arily in powe"
and Of the machine back OF them, W =
out thought or suggest n Of change.
New York finds civil service reform in
municipal matters Decesstv. ChiCa. o
is in l,k: case and other cities a;e toll
low ing in their train, but l}>llin re
serps. One side of her brain wA+'s 2p
when fight is on bttwenu d ii e nt
factions, but the nther side, wn Ch
should be C nncerned in reform, It -;ai de
the struggle with the same detncht n
difference which her citizens w"rl ex-
hibt over the res lit of col tlut he
tween Zulus and Matabeles. Never
once does it occur to Baltimore tha the
fight is over her and her proper y and
that the expenses of sue Fl Ihi have to
be borne by her people.
Attn ugh in the respects ind ca q IS
". II as many others, she has frlleu +
short OF Der duty not alone 10 hose
within her borders but t. the whole
State of Maryland. Baltimore dem. DIS
as Il Thug of prime importance h i ser
boundary posts be extended furihef ~
the country Baltimore apparen: iy
thinks, and we may say it in sorrow,
that bgness and greatness arc synonym
Gus. To an outside this seems as
reasonable as if man expected his soul
to be enlarged by taking on more flesh
and displacing more atmosphere. 1t
may be that Baltimore is better house
keeper than the counties and to this ex-
tent deserves credit; it may be that the
individual five-dollar-biil corruption Of
the voter is more general in the count.
les than in Baltimore. The real corrup-
ton Of the voter, however, is greater in
Baltimore, because of the wider extens-
on OF governmental functions without
restraint upon responsible authorities
in the disposition of Office, the larger
nun. Der of rewards to the machine aud
the unbridled rapacity of great inter
ests. Because of these things, it can
well BIZ understood why ii ia chat the
counties are comparatively Indifferent
10 al enlargement OF the area of Balsi
more City.
Let Baltimore move forward. To-day
il she walks at alI-and she never
runs--it is in her sleep. Let her learn
that there are real municipal issues and
find herself as other cities are finding
themselves. There is due to Ter long
trying course of regeneration. Reform
is very difficult to those who have never
believed in their need Of it, snd such is
the case with Baltimore. Outsiders can
help little Reform must come from
within. Until it does come; until The re
arise among her citizenship men OF
courage and determination.
"Who do their duties know, but
know tn cir rights,
And knowing dare maintain
them,"
Baltimore will contiaue to lag, and
no mere geographical extension W,
cleanse her soul of its manifest mpur =
ties.
JACKSON H. RALSroN,
HyattsvilIe. Nd.