458 ADDRESSES AND STATE PAPERS

The Governor said the area of "frills" around public education
provide some of the greatest irritants to those parents and taxpayers
with children in private or parochial schools.

They have a justifiable complaint, he said, about tax money going
for such purposes while being denied to their children.

REMARKS TO COMMITTEE ON THE EXECUTIVE
BRANCH, CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

October 10, 1967

Since I have discussed my general views on the philosophy, objec-
tives and content of Maryland's new Draft Constitution to assemblies
of the total convention on several occasions, I will limit my opening
statement to those points and problems which are of major interest
and importance to this committee and rely upon your questions to
pursue significant and pertinent detail.

In my address of September 29th to the total delegation, I outlined
and emphasized my proposals to reform and strengthen the execu-
tive branch. Here, I believe, my experience may have some value,
for most of my public career has been spent as a chief executive, first
in local and presently in State government.

As I noted in my speech twelve days ago, and I stress again today,
the Governor of any state is elected by a plurality of the voters. His
authority stems from their directive and he is primarily responsible to
the electorate. His election is presumed to imply the endorsement of
his policies and programs as articulated during the gubernatorial
campaign. While his election does not sanction unrestricted or un-
qualified executive action, ample constitutional safeguards against
the abuse of executive authority are vested in the legislative and ju-
dicial branches of government. These act as checks and balances upon
the exercise of executive authority. These constitutional devices pro-
vide for review of critical decisions and prevent any disproportionate
exercise of executive power. However, if checks and balances are per-
mitted to exist within rather than among the three traditional
branches of government, initiative is inhibited, efficiency and effective-
ness are impaired.

Under the existing Constitution's provisions, executive-adminis-
trative authority is eroded by a surfeit of elected officials and a multi-