The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1918-02-01

DER, AS SAID BEFORE, THE CON-
troll OF THE STATE OVER ANY
BRANCH OF INTERNAL LEGISLA-
TION Is THE GREATEST RESPON-
SIBILITY THAT ANY MEMBER OF
ANY LEGISLATURE COULD POSI-
BLY, ASSUME.
When this Legislature was elected
this question was not before the people
of Maryland. When the gentlemen
who now constitute the House and Sen
ate of Maryland were candidates for
election this Amendment had not been
submitted by Congress.
1t was, therefore, not in the view Of
the people. The people did not have
any opportunity to make known to
these candidates how they desired
them to vote on 1t, and therefore the
present General Assembly has no kind
Of mandate or commission from the
people of the State on that subject.
/ SAY, WHATEVER YOUR LEGAL
POWER MAY BE, AND DO NOT
THINK THAT IS BEYOND THE CON-
STITUTIONAL QUESTION WHAT
EVER YOUR LEGAL POWER MAY
BE, 1T WOULD BE A DREADFUL
ABUSE AND MISUSE AND Be
TRAVAIL OF THE TRUST INVOLVED
IN THAT POWER FOR THE MEM
BEERS OF THIS ASSEMBLY TO GIVE
AWAY, SURRENDER, ANY PART OF
THE SOVEREIGN AUTHORITY OF
THE STATE OF MARYLAND BE-
CAUSE, MARK YOU, THIS HAS
NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE. THE
RIGHT TO REGULATE INTERNAL
AFFAIRS AND LEGISLATE RE-
GARDING QUESTIONS OF CON-
DUCT, CONTRACTS, EATING OR
DRINKING, OR ANYTHING OF
THAT KIND, AND THAT INFINITE
VARIETY OF SUBJECTS CONSTI-
TUTES WHAT is KNOWN AMONG
CONSTITUTIONAL LAWYERS AS
THE POLICE POWER OF A STATE.
WITHOUT THAT POWER THERE
CAN BE NO STATE
IF 4 STATE LEGISLATURE EVER
SURRENDERED ALL THAT POWER
IT WOULD DESTROY THE STATE.
NOW I QUESTION, AND 1 CUES
TION MOST EARNESTLY, BOTH
THE LEGAL AND ABSOLUTELY
THE MORAL RIGHT OF THE MEM
BEERS OF THIS ASSEMBLY TO SUR
RENDER ANY PART OF THAT
POWER WITHOUT A MANDATE
AND INSTRUCTION FROM THE
PEOPLE OF THE STATE SO TO DO.
IF THEY HAVE POWER TO SUR
RENDER A PART OF THAT RIGHT,
SUCH AS THE RIGHT TO LEGIS-
LATE REGARDING LIQUOR OR THE
ENFORCEMENT OF LIQUOR LAWS.
WHY MAY THEY NOT SURRENDER
THE RIGHT TO LEGISLATE WITH
REFERENCE TO ANY OTHER SUB
JECT, ANY ONE OF THE ORDINARY
SUBJECTS OF LEGISLATION IN A
STATE? IF THEY CAN SURRENDER
THAT MUCH OF THE POLICE
POWER, WHY MAY THEY NOT
SURRENDER MORE? WHERE CAN
YOU DRAW THE LINE? WHY MAY
THEY NOT SURRENDER ALL
WITHOUT AUTHORITY FROM THE
PEOPLE? WHY MAY THEY NOT,
IN THAT WAY, DESTROY THE
VERY STATE WHOSE CONSTITU-
TION THEY ARE SWORN TO SUP
PORT?
1t seems to me, Gentlemen, that
these questions are questions Of too
grave import to be passed on hurried
ly, without debate, without opportunity
for the people to know what Is being
done with regard to them. Why, Cen
tlemen, we are living in momentous
period of the worlds history.
Democracy Is on trial for its life
before the bar Of the world, and the
trial Is by battle.
The greatest Autocrat Of the German
Empire, the greatest enemy that
Democracy has ever had, possibly, in
all history, and the most powerful and
ablest, has told his people that Dem
ocracy is a sham and fraud, and he
makes them believe 1t too. He tells
them that the pretense made on be-
half of the Democracy of America that
it is government where the people
rule, where the people through ma
jority vote govern themselves, that
that is a fales pretense, that 1t Is a lie.
He says that Is not so. All you have
to do is to look at the facts. INSTEAD
OF RULING THEMSELVES THE
PEOPLE OF AMERICA ARE RULED
AND DOMINATED ABSOLUTELY BY
MINORITIES, BOLD, AGGRESSIVE
MINORITIES, DOMINATE MINORI-
TIES WHO DOMINATE AND CON-
troll AND BULLY THEIR LEGIS-
LATIvE BODIES TO PASS LAWS
WHICH THE MAJORITY OF THE
PEOPLE DO NOT WANT, AND
NEVER WOULD HAVE DREAMED
OF ENACTING FOR THEMSELVES.
That is the charge he makes against
Democracy in America.
Now, l am speaking in utmost seri-
BUSINESS and 1 say if you Gentlemen,
members of this Assembly, without
giving the people chance to be heard,
without giving them time to find OUT
what the thing means and understand
it, without any mandate or direction
from then-YOU CAN NOT KNOW
WHAT THEY WANT EXCEPT BY A
VOTE A REGULARLY COUNTED
VOTE-and Notwithstanding the fact
that on the face Of the Amendment it.
self seven years are expressly allowed
for the purpose Of getting time to under,
stand 1t, IF, IN DISREGARD OF
ALL THAT, THIS LEGISLATURE
ADOPTS THIS AMENDMENT, GEN
TLEMEN, IT SEEMS TO Me THAT
YOU WILL GO FARTHER THAN IT
WAS EVER DREAMED TO BE POS.
SIBLE AND JUSTIFY THE GERMAN
KAISER'S SHEER. Talking about
fighting for Democracy! What becomes
of the slOgan-of the doctrine-The
Rule Of the PeopleY WHAT BECOMES
OF THE CRY OF THE ANTI-SALOON
LEAGUE, LET THE PEOPLE RULE3
That, as l understand it, has been the
war cry Of the gentlemen who are in.