Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1917-10-05
Annexation Plank or The Demo-
cratic State Convention.
The Advertiser-Republican, Annapolis.

Of Baltim ore to include within its limits
contiguous territory in Baltimore and Anne
Arundel counties, including such of its
suburbs as are part thereof provided
that such extension shall not be made
except with the consent of the majority
of the qualified voters Of the territory pro-
posed to be annexed. as required by the
Constitution of the State and by the prin-
ciples of self-government and home rule
always dear to free people,"
This is the deliberate and fair state
ment of the State Convention of the Mary
land Democrats. The honest and legal
way to 60 about increasing the territory
of the city is to submit that question to
the qualified voters Of the territory pro-
posed to be annexed, as the plank says
or upon the consent of majority Of the
legal voters residing within the district
which. under the said proposed change [of
county linesl would form part of coun-
ty different from that to which it belonged
prior to said CHANGE" as the Constitution
Of 1857. under which the State of Mary
land is today governed. expressly provides.
Annexation without referendum" for
which the city newspapers, small pro-
portion of the city people, and the paid
attorneys Of some Of the wealthy men who
make up that proportion. so vociferously
call at the hands Of the Legislature, is
unknown to the organic law of the State.
This provision of the Constitution Of
1857, fashioned by a majority Of Demo-
Gratis, and adopted by the votes of Demo-
Gratis, means exactly the same thing as
Article x of the Republican Constitution of
1884: Nor shall the lines of any county be
changed without the consent Of majority
of the legal voters residing within the
limits of the lines proposed to be changed"
Even the most far-sighted OF the men,
bers Of the convention of 1854 and the
convention Of 1887 had no thought that
Baltimore city would ever reach south Of
the Patapsco for alice Of Anne Arundel
county; but the debates of the wartime
convention discuss at length the future
reaching out into Baltimore county of
Baltimore city, and the reason for these
words in the Constitution was thus ex-
planned by Gen. James Lot Rideely
Now understand very well the effect
of this provision about changing county
lines, and have no objection in the world
to 1t. | am free to confess that Baltimore
city must necessarily. by reason Of its
constantly accommodating population find
Its way within the limits of Baltimore
county. 1t is the result OF that sort of law
which nothing in the world can prevent.
In time it must find its way there; and |
do not propose to throw an obsticle in the
way Of that end.
But simply ask that the people resid-
ing within the limits of the district pro-
posed to be included within the increased
limits Of Baltimore city shall be consulted
for the same reason that you would consult
the people residing within the limits of a
new county that you proposed to form. ask
that the same theory be applied to the
people of Baltimore county in relation to
an increase of the limits Of Baltimore city
that you would apply in relation to the
organization Of new counties in the State
know that Baltimore city must increase
and expand until in process of time 1t
shall absorb large portion Of the area
of Baltimore county. and say God speed
to it. do not propose to throw any OBJ
stacles whatever in the way, but simply
ask that when they apply to the Legsla-
ture for an extension Of boundaries there
shall be a Limitation upon the power Of
the Legislature to grant which shall re-
quire the assent Of the people residing in
the portion of the county asked to be in
| cluded within the limits OF Baltimore city. -
Included in the majority voting for the
Ridgely amendment TO the committee re-
port, which dealt solely with new counties
were Judge Ezekiel F. Chambers, Colonel
James T. Briscoe, of Calvert Edmund p
Duvall and George Peter. of Montgomery
Washington A. Smith and Award John
son. Of Dorchester; Pere Wilmer, of Queen
Annes; James Valiant, Of Talbot Robt.
w. Todd, and James D. Carter. of Caroline
Daniel Clarke. Of Prince Georges; David
C. Blackiston and George S. Hollyday, Of
Kent; Henry Baker and Andrew AMMAN
of Frederick; Chapman Billingsley, Of St.
Mary's; John Turner and Charles S. Par
ran. Of Calvert; Andrew J. Crawford and
John C. Horsey. Of Somerset Peter Keeley
and James p. Mayhu9h, Of Washington
and William B. Bond. Of Anne Arundel.
Good lawyers in the convention Of 1864
thought the language placed in the Con-
stitution Of that year and afterward fol-
lowed in the Constitution Of 1867 broad
enough to apply TO Baltimore city annexa-
tons and we now have the authority Of
the Code for Interpreting the word county
in Article XIII Of the present Constitution
ito include the city Of Baltimore"
AS General Ridgely said in 1854. it is
inevitable that the city shall extend fur
ther and further into Baltimore county in
tnc COuISc vi liiliO' anu IL may DO WItiHl
the possibilities Of the distant future that
the city will overlap the natural boundary
Of the Patapsco into Anne Arundel.
BUT
Unless the people Of Maryland propose
to send representatives to the Legislature
who are not to be limited and controlled
by the plain and unmistakable mandates Of
the Constitution. an insuperable objection
stands in the way Of annexation without
referendum. and we do not believe that
Baltimore city can make fair and orderly
annexation football Of politics by en-
couraeine the Republicans to think they
can gather votes this fall by turning their
backs on the Weller platform Of 1915. in
which they declared for the submission Of
the annexation issue to a referendum.
There Is a sure limitation upon the power