The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-01-31
Committee of Prominent Citizens of Baltimore

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 it, and therefore the
present General Assembly has no
kind of mandate or commission from
the people of the State on that sub
ject. l SAY, WHATEVER YOUR
LEGAL POWER MAY BE, AND
DO NOT THINK THAT IS BEYOND
THE CONSTITUTIONAL CUES
TION. YOUR LEGAL
POWER MAY BE, 1T WOULD BE
A DREADFUL ABUSE AND MISUSE
AND BETRAYAL OF THE TRUST
INVOLVED IN THAT POWER FOR
THE MEMBERS OF THIS ASSEM-
BLY, TO GIVE AWAY, SURRENDER.
ANY PART OF THE SOVEREIGN
AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF
MARYLAND BECAUSE, MARK
YOU, THIS HAS NEVER BEEN
DONE BEFORE. THE RIGHT TO
REGULATE INTERNAL AFFAIRS
AND LEGISLATE REGARDING
QUESTIONS OF CONDUCT, CON-
TRACTS, EATING OR DRINKING,
OR ANYTHING OF THAT KIND,
AND THAT INFINITE VARIETY OF
SUBJECTS CONSTITUTES WHAT
is KNOWN AMONG CONSTITU-
TIONAL LAWYERS AS THE PO-
LICE POWER OF A STATE. WITH
OUT THAT POWER THERE CAN
BE NO STATE.
IF A STATE LEGISLATURE EV-
Err SURRENDERED ALL THAT
POWER 1T WOULD DESTROY THE
STATE.
NOW QUESTION, AND / CUES
TON MOST EARNESTLY, BOTH
THE LEGAL AND ABSOLUTELY
THE MORAL RIGHT OF THE MEM
BEERS OF THIS ASSEMBLY TO
SURRENDER ANY PART OF THAT
POWER WITHOUT A MANDATE
AND INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE
PEOPLE OF THE STATE SO TO DO
i IF THEY HAVE POWER TO SUR
RENDER A PART OF THAT
RIGHT, SUCH AS THE RIGHT TO
LEGISLATE REGARDING LIQUOR
SR THE ENFORCEMENT OF LIQ-
UOR LAWS, WHY MAY THEY NOT
SURRENDER THE RIGHT TO LEG
ISLATE WITH REFERENCE TO
ANY OTHER SUBJECT, 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 SURREN-
DER MORE? WHERE CAN YOU
DRAW THE LINE?r WHY MAY
lHEY NOT SURRENDER ALL
WITHOUT AUTHORITY FROM
THE PEOPLE? WHY MAY THEY
NOT, IN THAT WAY, DESTROY O.
THE VERY, STATE WHOSE CON- =
STITUTIoN THEY ARE SWORN e
ESestU1PPoRr2
1T seems to me, Gentlemen, that.
these questions are questions OF too
grave import to be passed ON hur-
riedly, without debate, without OPP
portunity for the people to know
what is being done with regard to
them. Why, Gentlemen. we are liv-
ing in a 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 great Autoerat 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
Democracy is sham and a fraud.
AID he makes them believe it. too.
He tells them that the pretense made
on behalf Of the Democracy of Amer p
lea that 1t is a government where the
people rule, where the people thru
majority vote govern themselves.
that that is a false pretense. that 1t
is 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 DOM
MATED ABSOLUTELY BY MI
NORITIES, DOMINANT 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 ENACTINGaF'OR' THEMSELyES. g..
That is the charge he makes
against Democracy in America -.< q .
Now, 1 am speaking In utmost
seriousness and I say. If you Gentle
without giving the people a chance
to be heard, without giving them
time to find out what the thing
means and understand it. without
any mandate or direction from them
YOU CAN NOT KNOW WHAT
THEY WANT EXCEPT BY A VOTE
"A REGULARLY COUNTED VOTE
and Notwithstanding the fact that
on the fact of the Amendment itself
seven years are expressly allowed for
the purpose of getting time to un-
derstand it, IF, IN DISREGARD OF
ALL THAT, THIS LEGISLATURE
ADOPTS THIS AMENDMENT, GEN
TLEMEN, 1T SEEMS TO ME- THAT
YOU WILL GO FARTHER THAN 1T
WAS EVER DREAMED TO BE POS
SIBLE AND JUSTIFY THE GER
MAN KAISER'S SHEER. Talking
about fighting Tor Democracy! What
becomes of the slogan-of the doc
trine-The Rule of the People?