The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1917-01-27
WHY THE PUBLIC IS
NOT In POLITICS
There Are Too Many Officials, Elec-
tions, Governmental Complications
For The Average Man To Keep
Up With Them.
To the Editor

To the Editor:
The government of the State OF
Maryland, as that of the United
States, is founded upon the right OF
the people to rule themselves. we
continually declare our allegiance to
this principle without stopping to
consider how to make the people
rule a reality. If the people are to
rule they must exercise the powers
necessary to make this rule effective
They cannot exercise needless pow
ers without weakening the force and
effect of the needIuI. TO perfect
their rule the people must be able tc
determine the broad policies they
desire pursued and select RESPONSE
BILE agencies by which these policies
are to be made effective.
Our State policies are defined and
determined, first, by the Constitution
which is adopted by the vote OF the
whole people; second, by our legisla-
ture Including the Governor VINO in
certain particulars is a legislator)
selected pursuant to the Constitu-
ton, and, third, in certain States OF
Tic Ou1OAy III Ill llupol toAt oSSA SS
through initiative legislation, pro,
posed by some of the people and
adopted directly by all of them, and
in a lesser degree, as exists in Mary
land, by a Referendum to the people
after the legislature has acted.
To carry out these policies and
meet the daily exigencies of admin
istration, we need only elect for the
State the Governor and legislature
and for the counties, Boards of Com
miSsioners. In fact, in our elections
we do not content ourselves will
these simple necessary things, but
we name through what is assumed
to me the voice of the people at the
polls a great number of subordinate
officers, whose functions are purely
incidental or ministerial and who
have little OF nothing to do with the
carrying out of the policies which
the people are concerned, and
whose selection should be properly
left to. the central agencies the duty
of which it is particularly to enforce
the will of the people. In this we
put upon the people a burden not
essential to popular government and
sour attempt to make the people bear
it leads 20 failure. If we are to have
good popular and effective govern
:ment in Maryland, we need to face
the situation understandingly, and
correct our Constitution and laws to
correspond with what democratic
government really means. A further
explanation is needed.
In our national government we
have greater degree of efficiency,
directness, continuity of policy and
enforcement Of the peoples will than
we have in our State Government.
We elect one single executive Off
Ger, the President, with a possible
substitute. the Vice-PresideRt, and
repaeES of both. R22aS Con.
gress. me President Is charged
with the duty of carrying out the
policies of the people, and to this
end selects his cabinet and the sub
ordinate officers of the government
Of real administrative importance.
They are responsible to him and
subject to removal at his hands. We
have thus a centralized government
and at the same time, subject to
other limitations not essential to
the present discussion, a government
of the people. So far as the execu-
tive is concerned, national admins
tration is simple, direct and relative
ly free from the abuses which bur-
den our State governments.
When, however, we consider the
State, we find ourselves electing a
Governor and Attorney-G eneral for
four years, Comptroller for two
years, Clerk of the Court of APP
peals every six years, while, by a
curious anomaly, the Treasurer is
elected by the legislature, and serves
two years. If we would have a
truly popular government without
imposing undue JIrdens upon the
people we would have our Attorney
General appointed, as is the Attor-
ney General of the United States, by
the chief executive power, our Comp
troller and Treasurer, who together
roughly correspond to the Secretary
of the Treas urv. Amounted in the