Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-09-21
COUNTY SCORES ON
ANNEXATION PLAN
Mr.. R. p. Melvin Makes Telling Ad-
dress in State Convention.
ALL In FIGHTING TRIM
Issue Arouses Party Men and Countians
Delivered Blow at City's Expan-
sion Proiec

sion fr0lec
At the Democratic State Convention
in Baltimore city yesterday, Anne
Arundel county went to the front with
Baltimore county and the other coun-
| ties Of the State, and won signal vic
| tory in their fight against the scheme
of the Baltimore City annexationists
who propose to grab nearly half of
the taxable basis of Anne Arundel
County and put it in Baltimore City.
When the final vote was taken in
the convention it was found that
every delegate from the counties and
even three from Baltimore City, num-
bering altogether 101, were in favor
\ of the referendum feature to any an
nexation measure, and only "a votes
were against it, These "a votes, of
course, came from Baltimore City.
The platform, as adopted by the
Convention and on which the above
vote was taken, endorses President
Wilson, pledges the party to war econ
omy and food conservation. promises
to handle the budget system intelli-
gently and asking a public hearing
and the employment of expert advice,
eulogizes the administration of Gov
ernor Harrington, and ends with the
following plank, which was the bone
of contention:
I'VE approve of the efforts OF
the City of Baltimore to include
within its limits contiguous ter
rity in Baltimore and Anne Arun-
del Counties, including such of its
suburbs as are a part thereon,
provided that such extension shall
not be made except with the con-
sent of the majority of the quail
fed voters of the territory pro-
posed to be annexed, as required
by the Constitution of the State,
and by the principles of self
government and home rule, al
ways dear to free people
Anne Arundel County was repre-
Esenied in the convention by Senator
Frank NJ Duvall, Ridgely p. Melvin,
James A. Walton, John j. Levy and
Joseph G. Bannon. Senator Duvall
was chairman of the delegation, and
Mr.. Melvin was named on the Reso-
lutions Committee, and Mr.. Walton on
the Credentials Committee. When the
Resolutions Committee retired to de-
liberate on the platform to be submit
ted to the convention, the fight began.
On this committee, representing Bal
timore City, were Mr.. William L..
Marbury and former Mayor j. Barry
Mahool. who fought against annexa-
ton with the referendum feature and
who. when this plank in the draft OF
the platform was reached, offered the
plank which had been prepared by
the Baltimore City League. This
plank would have pledged the conven-
tion to the specific bill prepared by
this League, although the bill itself
| was not before the convention and its
provisions had not even been seen by
probably nine-tenths of the delegates.
Mr.. Marbury and Mr.. Mahool spoke
in favor of this Leagues plank, and
Elmer ]. Cook, representing Baltimore
County, and Ridgely p. Melvin, repre-
senting Anne Arundel, argued against
them. The committee almost unani-
mously declared against the Leagues
plank and endorsed the platform, as
first submitted Baltimore City's dele
gates then carried the fight to the
floor of the convention and offered the
Leagues plank as a substitute to the
report of the Resolutions Committee.
Here again Mr.. Marbury argued in ia
vor of the Leagues plank and inti-
mated that he did not see how the
Democratic party could make an
argument on the stump if it adopted
the plank with the referendum. He
was followed by T. Scott 0ffutt. who
spoke for Baltimore County. Mr..
| Offutt discussed the probability that
the Republicans will declare outright
for the annexation the city wants. He
charged that if that were done the Re-
publicans would convict themselves of
| inconsistency, because two years ago
| they had referendum clause in their
plank. He referred to the defeat of
David J. Lewis for the United States
Senate. and laid that at the door of
Baltimore City politicians.
MT. OUutl Was tOltoWcu ny AeAN6SAs
p. Melvin. in behalf of Anne. Arundel
County's side in the fight Mr.. Melvin
pointed out that the substitute plat
form offered by Mr. Marbury, which
was then before the convention. pro-
posed that it unequivocally endorse
the particular bill that had been
drafted by the so-called Greater
Baltimore Non-Partisan Extension
League" whereas, that bill was not
even before the convention and the
terms and provisions of it had not
been seen by as many as one-fifth OF
the delegates. if that many. He
stated that this proposition meant
nothing less than that over $4,000
/ 600 of the taxable basis of Anne
Arundel County. and about $500 of its
! inhabitants would be legislated by A
single stroke, into Baltimore City,
not only without their consent. but
against their most earnest protest
and without even the representatives
of Anne Arundel County having been
consulted or invited to participate in
any of the conferences at which the