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substantial questions of public equity were
involved.
This is such a question. We are not writ-
ing this constitution for the moment. We
are writing this constitution presumably
for the next 100 years.
I ask you in your consideration of this
question not to let the fact that it has
been suggested that we will be divided,
that we will be sharply put at each other,
to be determinative of the issue in your
judgments.
Consider it in terms of the tri-partite
system of government with a strong execu-
tive, a strong legislature, and a strong ju-
diciary, a government that you can go
forth from these halls and defend to your
voters. Let not the pressures of the mo-
ment decide this basic issue. The majority
has every confidence that if a decision is
approached with that frame of mind, as
this Convention has approached all its
other decisions, it will vote with the ma-
jority, and more than that, we will go
forth a united, not a divided Convention.
DELEGATE J. CLARK (presiding) :
Delegate Sybert, according to the time
keeper you still have seven minutes.
DELEGATE SYBERT: Mr. Chairman,
I would like to yield three minutes to Dele-
gate Storm.
DELEGATE J. CLARK (presiding) :
Delegate Storm.
DELEGATE STORM: Mr. Chairman
and fellow delegates:
I think really that the main problem here
is strengthening the hand of the Republi-
can governor, and we are willing to do
this. Now, please follow me on this, be-
cause I believe that a vital question is con-
cerned here.
I believe in a Board of Public Works. I
believe in having an elected comptroller on
that board. I believe that this is especially
necessary when we have a Democratic gov-
ernor, because a Democratic governor, with
the usual Democratic legislature, has a
great deal to say regarding the selection
of the treasurer. I submit to you that we
are writing this constitution for Demo-
cratic as well as Republican governors,
and I suggest to you that it is good to
have public discussion with an elective
comptroller able to disagree, and to point
out dangers which he knows from being
the chief fiscal officer of the State — not to
make policy, not to adopt a poverty pro-
gram and all that sort of thing, but one
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who can point out danger if the governors
advisers want him to do something.
really should not do, and would .
he understood it properly.
I suggest that you Republicans
support this because this will be in
in case a Democratic governor is ever
elected again, and I believe he will be
someday. Then, you see, we do not have a
weak governor. When we have a Demo-
cratic governor, he is strong. It is only
the Republican governor that we need to
assist. I am willing to assist him. We are
giving him powers of reorganization. We
are giving him a majority on the Board of
Public Works; but please, do not do away
with the Board of Public Works and some-
one on it who is responsible to the people
and able to get up on his feet and say,
"Gentlemen on the Board of Public Works,
this is not for the best interests of the
people, and these are the reasons why."
Then it will be a meaningful press con-
ference and public meeting. But if you just
have the governor alone select, when you
next have a Democratic governor he will
be an absolute dictator.
I agree we should strengthen the power
of the Republican governor, but please,
keep the comptroller elected to protect the
people. The people want this protection,
and this constitution, I am afraid, will go
down in defeat if you take away from them
two of their statewide officers.
Thank you.
(President H. Vernon Eney resumed the
chair,)
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Adkins.
DELEGATE ADKINS: Mr. Chairman,
we yield the balance of our controlled time.
THE CHAIRMAN: The Chair would
like to recognize the presence in the gallery
of eighty members of the League of Women
Voters of Montgomery County, and to say
that we are delighted to have them with us.
(Applause.)
On the basis of conversations which the
Chair has had this morning with some of
the delegates, the Committee on the Execu-
tive Branch, and on the basis of statements
made by other delegates, the Chair would
like to have the Committee on the Execu-
tive Branch make one more effort to ar-
rive at a recommendation to this Conven-
tion which could be concurred in by all or
nearly all of the members of the Commit-
tee of the Whole.
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