The midland journal., 1917-02-02
REFORMS NEEDED IN MARY
LAND.
Corrupt Elections, Useless Offices
Taxation and Other Political
Problems Considered.
Series OF Articles BY jackson III
Ralston.
Article. WI

10 the Editor of the Midland
Journal
The largest and greatest corpor-
alton within the confines of Mary
land, one in which we are all stock
holders is the State itself. 1t en-
pIoys more men and requires more
varied ability than is called for by
any other corporation. Our Gov
ernor and legislators should possess
legislative skill. The Governor in
addition should be a man Of the
highest executive ability. In a great
er or less degree as the head of the
State Government, he influences
the legislature; he directs the ad-
m1n1stration of the varied instru-
mentalities of the State, which in
clude protection of the oyster indus
I'try; investigations into Industrial
matters; insurance and state bank
control; care for those injured in in
dustrial pursuits; enforcement of
justice through punishment of of
tenders against the law in the peni-
tentiary and otherwise; charitabl
institutions in which the blind, the
poor, the insane and those Athlete ;
by tuberculosis and other diseases
are cared for.
The administration of the law
enters into every hamlet. Our tax
alton system touches every citizen
whether directly paying taxes or not.
Agriculture receives share of pub
lie attention. Meanwhile the citi-
zen is also brought into relation with
the State through it's maintenance
of state roads, and, by means of it's
municipal corporations, through city
streets with their varied require
ments. In almost countless other
ways the State has need of the very
best and most carefully selected
public servants.
With all this we allow our elected
officers to be selected by machines
and the measure of competency for
inferior office is one of political
availability and not ability to per-
form services for the State. The
wonder is, not that we have bad or
expensive or inefficient government,
but that our government is not in
tinitely worse than ii is. This single
fact bears strong testimony to the
innate desire of mel, when called
upon. to render as good service to
the State as their limitations of out
side control education and capacity
will permit
Under the supervision of the State,
in addition to those mentioned, as
we'll as many other branches which
might be enumerated, we have an
extensive school system, conducted,
so far as primary and gramma,
schools are concerned, in a manner
which yields poor results consider
ing its expense. This is true par
ticularly in the country districts
where the rural citizen has a right
o complain of comparative neglect
While our legislators have been
liberal to our higher institutions of
learning, eleven of which were
recognized generously in the last
State appropriation bill, these insti-
sutions even are not doing their full
Nart in the making of citizens com
petent to carry on the work of gov
ernment better than we do our
selves. OF all the great pressing
problems of government pupils are
left in ignorance. do not know,
for instance, high schools or colleges
in Maryland adequately acquainting
the student with the public questions
upon which as citizen of this State,
he must pass. Which one, for in
| stance, gives him more than outline
of the framework of national or
state government? Is there one re-
quiring the student to investigate
the meaning of democratic govern
ment; it's limitations; how to make
it efficient; what officers are proper
ly elective, and how non-elective
officers should be chosen to get the
best results; describes to him pro-
portional representation in legisla-
tive bodies or the meaning of pre-
ferential voting? IN what school
shall we discover that the scholars
are required to investigate and ex-
plain to their fellows the offices of
direct legislation, the Initiative and
referendum, the recalls Although
the money derived from taxation is
the very life-blood of government,
is there high school or college
which demands investigation by its