Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1917-08-10
ANNEXATION MEANS
! !, CITY RULING STATE
]
Given a Majority of Voters
Its Increase in Legislative
Representation Sure ].
DEALS AND THREATS
POTENT

Boomers Trying to Intimidate Both
Political Parties and True to
Neither - Demanding aRippers
n Planks in Democratic and Repub-
\ hean Platforms = Greater CITY
Could Veto Any Law Hereafter
Passed
No plaything will better amuse a
small goy than a piece Of rubber.
The way the elastic material will
stretch to suit his fancy is per-
petual souVce Of Joy 10 him.
| The Annexationists Of baltimore
seem to I fully Is much delieht
IN playing with the State esarrty
ten. They (puote r.sAHt their pur-
thu sectt-.-sn,y say the section which
prohibits anrfexation without a refer
en6uns had no force. They stretch
ths Constitution to suit themselves.
An article sent out by the Great
er Baltimore Extension League in
an endeavcgr to blind the voters Of
Maryland TO the danger Of giving
BALTIMORE city a majority Of the
populatiot1 Of the State (which effect
It Il admitted annexation as pro
posed viii have) asserts that Balti-
more city would have no more power
after annexation than now, for
power comes from the Legislature.
and the repres .ntation Of the city
and the counties is fixed by the
Constitution. Baltimore city now
has four Senators and twenty four
members Of the House Of Delegates.
It has not been very many years
SINCE the city had three Senators
ard eighteen members Of the Hoas-.
How did the increase come about =?
By constitutional amendment.
Constitutional amendments have be-
come SO usual that the ordinary
xoter thinks there is something
wrong with his ballot if he does not
And one on It.
Amendments Easily Passed
The Annexationists tell you the
Constitution can not be amended
except BY an act which passes
the Legislature by a three tifths
vote N both houses and Is then
ratified by the people. Since they
have announced that they viii make
Everything else subservient to an
inexation and are freely using threats
end cajoleries to swerve members Of
tAe Legislature TO their favor, and Z
have shown that they can swing
practically the entire vote Of the city
delegation IL both houses in any po-
Htichl deal or barter, it is easy to
see that they would not have much
trouble IN securing equal represen-
tation for the city in the Legisla-
ture. Give the city numerical ma
jprity Of the voters Of the whole
Btate, and the ratification Of the
kmsndmeht would be matter Of
purse.
X Bullying Both Sides
Bot the Annexationists are at
tempting to deceive the people wheu
they claim that Baltimore could
pnly assert its power through the
Legislatura- Three Is always more
than. two, and party leaders VIII
be practically compelled to yield 10
the will Of the majority in making
party platforms and influencing nom
nations. Just now, as they did two
years ago, the Annexationists are
imperiously demanding that both
parties insert in their platforms 70
BE- adopted the coming fall iron
clad planks favoring annexation with
put a referendum. Threats are free
" made of what they will do to any
political leader who opposes them.
Not Bound by Parties
Can It be imagined that the same
men and influences which are now
Attempting to rule both political
parties Will not In similar way en-
deavor to dictate nominations n
given majority Of votes with which
to back their demands and threats7
And II their wishes are not Needed
In making the nominations, can any
one doubt that taey will be able to
take their revenge By defeating any
Candidate not acceptable 7 They
have already shown their willingness
to do so. Facts do not bear out
the assertion that when the become
citizens of Baltimore, Democrats re-
main Democrats and Republicans. re-
main Republicans. Most Of them
work together to rule the rest OF
the State. No political party can be
sure Of their feaity, for they are
avowedly out to gain their own ends
by any sort Of temporary expedient-
Give the city a majority of the
population Of the State and you will
give It absolute control. No deserv-
ing man Of either party In any part
Of the State will be able to obtain
State office without the approval
Of the city boss. Nc law which does
mot suit the "city crowd" will stand
any chance Of being passed.
Ind II such law should slip
through, the city would have, and
without any increase in Legislative
membership, the power to veto 1t.
In 1915 the people ratified the
Referendum amendment to the State
Constitution. Under this amendment
a majority Of the volers may nulli-
fy any law passed by the Legisla-
ture except laws regulating the sale
Of liquor ind the regular approprta-
ton bills. Unfer this amendment
the city could override any law Of
the State hereafter passed, except
as noted, that is, provided Mayor
Preston's scheme for the aggran-
dizement Of the city by overriding
the Constitution and grasping one.
half the population and wealth Of
Baltimore county and a fat slice OF
Anne Arundel county is success
full.
BALTIMORE COUNTY NON-PAR-
TISAN CITIZENS PROTECTIVE
COMMITTEE.