Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-08-02
ANNEXATION MEANS
CITY RULING STATE
Given a Majority Of Voters, Its In
crease IN Legislative Repre-
sentation Sure
DEALS AND THREATS POTENT


Political Parties and True to Meth
er-Demanding sRipper. Planks in
Democratic and Republican Plat
forms Greater City Could Veto Any
Law Hereafter Passed.
No plaything will better amuse
small boy than piece of rubber.
The way the elastic material will
stretch to suit his fancy is per-
petual source of joy to him.
The annexationists of Baltimore
seem to get fully as much delight
in playing with the State Constitu
tion. They quote with much gravity
| the sections which suits their pur-
, poses, but they say the section which
prohibits annexation without refer
endum has no force. They stretch
the Constitution to suit themselves.
An article sent out by the Great
er Baltimare Extension League in
an endeavor to blind the voters of
Maryland to the danger of giving
Baltimore city a majority of the
population of the State (Which effect
is is admitted annexation as pro-
posed will have) asserts that Balti-
more City would have no more power
after annexation than now for power
comes from the Legislature, and the
representation OF the city and the
counties is fixed by the Constitution.
Baltimore city now has four Senators
and twenty members of the
House of Delegats. 1t has not been
very many years since the city had
three Senators and eighteen members
of the House. How did the increase
come about? BY a constitutional
amendment Constitutional amend
ments have become so usual that the
ordinary voter thinks there is some
thing wrong with his ballot If he does
not find one ON it,
Amendments Easily Passed.
The Annexationists tell you the
Constitution can not be amended ex-
cept by an Act which passes the Leg
islature by a three -fifths vote in both
houses and is then ratified by the peo-
pie. Since they have announced that
they will make everything else sub
servient to annexation and are freely
using threats and cajoleries to swerve
members of the Legislature to their
favor, and have shown that they can
swing practically the entire vote OF
the city delegation in both houses in
rta SO aoc "
to see that they would not have much
trouble in securing equal representa-
ton for the city in the Legislature.
Give the city a numerical majority
of the voters of the whole State, and
the ratification of the amendment
would be a matter of course.
Bullying Both Parties.
But the Annexationists are attempt
ing TO deceive the people when they
claim that Baltimore could only as
sert it's power through the Legisla-
tur. There is always more than two
and the party leaders will be practi-
cally compelled to yield to the will of
the majority in making party plat
forms and influencing nominations.
| Juust now, as they did two years ago,
| the Annexationists are imperiously de-
manding that both parties insert in
their platforms to be adopted the COM
| ing fall ironclad planks favoring an
nexation without referendum
| Threats are frequ entity made of what
they will do to any political leader
who 0nnosas them
Not Bound BY Parties.
Can it be imagined that the same
men and influences which are now at
| tempting to rule both political parties
| will not in a similar way endeavor to
dictate nominations if given majority
of votes with which to back their de-
| mands and threats? And if their wish
| es are not needed in making the nom
| nations, can any one doubt that they
| will b. able to take their revenge by
| defeating any candidate not accept
able? They have already shown their
| willingness to do so. Facts do not
| bear out the assertion that when they
become citizens of Baltimore. Demo
Gratis remain Democrats and Republi-
| cans remain Republicans Most OF
them work together TO rule the rest
of the State. No political party can
be sure of their fealty, for they are
avowedly out to gain their own ends
by any sort of temporary expedient
Give the city a majority of the pop
ulation of the State and you will give
| it absolute control. No deserving man
of either party in any part of the State
will be able to obtain State office
without the approval of the city boss
| No law which does not suit the city
crowd" will stand any chance of being
| passed
| And If such a law should slip
through. the city would have, and
| without any increase in Legislative
| membership, the power to veto it.In
| 1915 the people ratified the Referen-
DUN amendment to the State Consti-
tuition. Under this amendment ma
jority of the voters may nullify any
law passed by the Legislature except
laws regulating the sale of liquor and
regular appropriation bills. Under this
| amendment the city could override