Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1946-10-24
CHARTER WOULD DESTROY THE TRADITIONAL
TWO-PARTY SYSTEM

One of the fundamental purposes of the whole Charter
movement is to destroy the Republican, Democratic and all
other parties in Montgomery County Charter advocates
argue for partisan elections and nonpartsan officers
implying that there something sinister evil in
dtonal twopary system They say that it is all right for
each in the County to retain his Republican Demo-
cratic allegiance in State and National elections but that he
should abdcae it County elections to group of amateurs
posing under the of Good Government and Reform
We believe in the effectiveness of the twoparty system
under the American form of Government We believe in it
because believe in party responsibility rather than in nd
vdua responsibility The twoparty system has existed in
this country for $50 in National State and local
affairs and there is no reason why Montgomery County
should be used the proving ground for other system
If political party abuses its power while in office mis-
the affairs entrusted to it, it assumes the response
biy therefor The voters have the right and the oppor
uny under existing laws to throw that party out of power
and replace it with another If the Charteres have any
fault to find with the present party in power in Montgomery
County let them vote against the candidates of that party
in the November election. That is the traditional way
Charerites would ignore that proven method and instead
would change the entire form and structure of the County
Government to accomplish that purpose
CONCLUSION
We have listed above principal objections to the Char
ter movement There many other objections of only less
Importance
Within the last few days the principal members of
the Charter group Dean James Hayden who will be of
the five responsible for drafting the Charter if the
question is approved November made the revealing state
ment that the last Charter submitted to the voters and de-
feated in November 1914 was magnificent piece of work.
and that he could think of no fundamental changes he would
make in if called upon to draft Charter From this
statement it obvious that the next Charter there to be
will be different than the last Under the crcum
stances the question OF drafting new Charter might just
well be defeated without waiting until Charter
is drafted and submitted in 1913.
The 1914 Charter campaign which resulted in the defeat
Of Charter at that time, did useful purpose Public
debate the question revealed number of weaknesses in
County Government which resulted in thr correction
These corrections made without changing the form of
County Government and within the existing framework.
The debate revived civic consciousness which had been ong
dormant focused attention the need for continuous
interest the part of the people in their local government
These vital forces should be kept alive However cannot
agree with the stubborn nssence of the Charter advocates
that Charter the only possible formula for improving
County Government.
On the contrary We as veterans who recently returned
from fighting to preserve the American form of Government
unwilling that the traditional form of Government in
Montgomery County should be changed and be replaced by
experiment possessing all of the defects listed above We
did destroy the German and Jap COVENANTS abroad only
to rturn and find that reward to be radical and
untried experiment at home.