The midland journal., 1917-02-09
REFORMS NEEDED IN MARY
LAND.
Taxation and Other Political
Problems Considered.
Series OF Articles BY jackson I'll.
Ralston.
Article VII


Journal
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 peoples
rule a reality. If the people are to
rule they must exercise the powers
necessary to make this rule effective.
They cannot exercise needless
powers without weakening the force
and effect of the needful. To per-
feet their rule the people must be
able to determine the broad policies
they desire pursued and select re-
sponsible 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 legis-
lature Gncluding the Governor who
in certain particulars is legislator) {,
selected pursuant to the Constitu-
tion, and, third, in certain states of
the Union, in an important degree
through initiative legislation, pro-
posed by some of the people and
adopted directly by all Of them. and
in lesser degree, as exists in Mary
land, by Referendum to the people
of LOT
To carry out these policies and
meet the daily exigencies Of admin
stration, 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 with
these simple necessary things, but
we name through what is assumed
to be 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 or nothing to do with the
carrying out of the policies in 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 burden not
essential to popular government and
our attempt to make the people bear
it leads to failure. If we are to
have good popular anc effective gov
ernment in Maryland, we need to
face the situation understandingly,
and correct our Constitution and
laws. to correspond with what demo-
cratic 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 officer,
the President, with a possible sub
stitute, the Vice-President, and
members of both houses of Congress.
The President is charged with the
duty of carrying out the policies of
the people, and to this end selects
his cabinet and the subordinate'>o Of
ficers of the government of real ad-
ministrative 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 limita-
tions not essential to the present dis
cussion, a government of the people.
So far as the executive is concerned,
national administration is simple,
direct and relatively free from the
abuses which burden our state gov
ernments.
When, however, we consider the
state we find ourselves electing a
Governor and Attorney General for
four years, Comptroller for two
years, Clerk of the Court of Ap-
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 impos-
ing undue burdens upon the people
we would have our Attorney-Gen-
eral appointed, as is the Attorney
General of the United States, by the
chief executive power. our Comp
troller and Treasurer who together
roughly correspond to the Secretary
of the Treasury, Appointed in the
same Way. and thA Clark OF our