The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-03-22
THE PEOPLES FORUM.
What the Legislative Session Of 1916
Failed to Do In Furtherance of
The Ideas OF the Electorate As
Expressed In the Election of 1915


To the Editor of The Republican,:
Curious it is, but after all natural
enough, the jerking and halting way in
which our different States pursue their
forward march. At one point a State
is very advanced, at another, far in the
rear of the procession. In some things
the Referendum, the Budget system,
freedom mot yet awaited of in tax
matters-Maryland leads New York.
In the initiative and abolition of capt.
tai punishment, Maryland can learn
from Arizona, and in woman suffrage
from California and other states So
it goes throughout the entire Union.
Maryland, far down the line of States
before the legislative session of 1914,
then took gigantic strides forward,
the progressive action of her legsla-
ture receiving, in 1915, the emphatic
sanction Of her electorate. For genuine
constructive work in the interest of the
people, opening new avenues for fur
Their advancement, the legislature of
1914, should long be remembered
Amendments to the Constitution sub
mitted by it and afterwards ratified by
the people provided for county home
rule and home rule in the City of Bal
timore, for the referendum in state
wide and local legislation, for granting
power in the State and subordinate
Jurisdictions to adopt improved meth
DDS of taxation and giving power to
the General Assembly to authorize a
trial court in criminal cases to suspend
sentence, to adopt any form of indeter-
inmate sentence and to release on
parole.
Great as was the work of the General
Assembly of 1914, it found an ineffici-
ent successor IN the Assembly of 1916,
which failed to appreciate the ex-
pressed desires of the people embodied
in the constitutional amendments re-
ferred to. 1t was its duty to make
llICoG GOuSIlJuIiOildl dIl6IututliiS GI-
fectIye iE so far as legislation was
needed This high duty imposed by the
people was, in every respect ignored
Under the county home rule amend
ment it was directed to prescribe the
express powers the counties were to
exercise and this subject was ignored |
While the referendum amendment was
self-executing and on one occasion has
been since called into operation, the
General Assembly referred to should |
have facilitated by legislation the ex-
ercise by the people of this great !
power. The constitutional amendment |
relative to taxation made it the duty |
of the General Assembly to classify i'm |
provements and personal property. |
This subject was left untouched, only |
the classifcations, unscientific and en-
tirely informal, which prevailed with
out constitutional authority before the |
constitutional amendment of 1914, on
the subject of taxation now existing.
The General Assembly of 1916 should
have given to the courts the power the
people intended the Courts to possess
in criminal cases, but the evils which
the people had condemned at the ballot
box by an overwhelming majority re-
manned undisturbed.
If the people possessed the right of
legislation something l shall
desire to discuss on future occasion
this would not have been important
The legislature of 1914, however, with
all of its good work, failed to submit a
proper initiative amendment and the
people remain without power to remedy
the omissions of those who are called
their representatives. The one hope of !