The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1917-08-03
ANNEXATION MEANS
CITY EULiEG Site
Given a Majority Of Vot4-
Its Increase in Legisiat:., ;.
Representation Sure
DEALS AND THnEAIS
POTENT

Boomers Trying to Intin,idate cot'a
Political Parties ard True {,
Neither - Demanding Ripper
Planks in Democratic and EepuI,-
lican Platforms - Greater Ci.y
Could Veto Any Law Hereafter
Passed
No plaything will better aluse a
small boy than a 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 Costitu-
ton. They quote with much gravity
the sections which suit their pur-
poses, but hey say the section which
prohibits annexation without refer
encum has no ftrce. They stretch
IT, Constitution tc suit themselves.
An article sent out by the Great
err Baltimore 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
it 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 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 Senator's
and eighteen members of the House.
How did the increase come about ?
By constitutional amendment.
Constitutional amendments have be-
come so usual that the ordinary
voter thinks there is something
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
except by an act which passes
the Legislature by three tifths
vote in both houses and is then
ratified by the people. Since they
have announced that they will make
everything else subservient to an
nexation 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 any po-
litical 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 Leglsla-
ture. Give the city a numerical ma
jority of the voters of the whole
State, and the ratification of the
amendment would be a matter of
course.
Bullying Both Sides
But the Annexationists are at
tempting to deceive the people when
they claim that Baltimore could
only assert its power through the
Legislature. Three is always more
than two, and party leaders will
be practically compelled to yield to
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 to
be adopted the coming fall iron
clad planks favoring annexation with
out 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 imag med 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 If
given a majority of votes with which
to back their demands and threats?
And If their wishes are not needed
in making the nominations, can any
one doubt that they will be able to
take their revenge by defeating any
candidate not acceptable 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 fealty, 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
a 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 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
Referendum amendment to the State
Constitution. Under this amendment
q majority Of the voters may nulli-
fy any law passed by the Legisla-
ture except laws regulating the sale
Of liquor and the regular appropria-
ton bills. Under 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-