Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1923-09-29
Platform Adopted,By Maryland
Democratic State Convention

State; to provide for adequate in.
spection of all meat for human con
sumption; reasonable extension of the
public nursing service.
Women And Children.
We pledge our party to the passage
OF such legislation as may be needed
to better the conditions of women in
industry AID to improve and modern.
lie our State system of child care.
The latter field is now being studied
by q commission appointed by the
Governor pursuant to act Of the last
Legislature.
We favor such legislation az will
enable women to register for voting
purposes upon stating simply that
they are over 81 years Of age.
Conservation.
We pledge our party to the policy
of State purchase Of oyster shells for
the replenishing Of our oyster beds.
We advocate legislation prohibiting
seed oysters being taken from the
State. We favor legislation appro-
pirate to stop pollution Of the Ches-
apeake Bay and other waters and trib-
ltaries.
We favor an adequate program for
the protection and propagation Of the
game fishes of the fresh waters Of the
State.
/; State Armories.
The States plan for constructing
additional armories at Hagerstown,
Centreville, Cumberland. Silver Spring.
Crisfield, Easton and Kensington was
made dependent by the last Legisla.
ture upon the sale Of the old Fourth
Regiment Armory lot in Baltimore
city, and could not be carried out be-
cause this lot could not be sold. We
pledge our party to such legislation
as will assure the building Of State
armories at each above.named cities,
and also necessary improvements at
the Field Artillary Barracks at Pixies
willie, the Fifth Regiment Armory in
Baltimore and the One Hundredth and
Fourth Medical Regiment Armory in
Baltimore, and proper provision to aid
jim the continuance of the Air Service
Flying Field now located at Dundalk.
State Purchasing Department.
We favor the establishment of ware
housing facilities for the storage of
merchandise purchased under favor
able market conditions, thereby insur-
ag greater economy and better in.
sction than is possible when pur.
s.-ses are limited by the storage IA.
cilities Of the using authorities.
States Rights And Prohibition.
The fundamental principle OF the
Democratic party has always been that
Decentralization Of power in the Fed
,eral Government and Federal invas.
ions Of the rights of the States are
destructive of our form of govern
.ment and of the liberties of our people.
The provisions Ut the Volstead act
constitute clear departure from this
principle Of government, and we be.
lieve appropriate steps should be taken
by Congress to turn the subject back
to the States, so that each State, with
in constitutional limitations, may have
the opportunity Of settling it in &C.
icordance with the wishes Of its own
people; and until that time we believe
that the Volstead act should be amend.
ed so as to permit the manufacture
and sale Of beer and light wine where
permitted by local law.
AS long as the Eighteenth Amend
ment is part Of the Constitution we
recognize, Of course, that 1t should be
upheld and respected. We are forced
however, to realize that the existence
of the Volstead act has caused a disre.
gard for law and order and a degree
of actual lawlessness unparalleled in
this country. Particularly is this the,
case in those States where the Vol
stead act, lacking popular support, has,
nevertheless, been enacted as a State
measure. AS long, therefore, as the
Federal Government elects to interpret
and enforce the Eighteenth Amend.
ment in Maryland through the Vol
stead act we feel that the response.
bility for such enforcement here
should rest on the Federal Govern.
lment alone; and we. therefore, believe
that the task Of enforcing the pro-
visions Of the volstead act should not
be assumed by this State.
> This does not mean that we depar,
lin the slightest degree from full rec.
iognition Of the right of the people of
the various political units of the State
to secure from the Legislature and
approve at the polls such prohibition
laws as they deem best for the re-
spective counties and communities in
which they live. This is the Demo.
cratic principle of home rule, which
has been many times exercised in
Maryland. The Maryland Court of