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the question of the election of the comp-
troller.
DELEGATE SYBERT: Mr. Chairman.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Sybert, I
was of the impression before adjournment
that the controlled time allotted to you
and to Delegate Adkins had expired. The
time keeper has just handed me a note
saying that you actually have four minutes
of controlled time available to you. I am
sorry.
DELEGATE SYBERT: That is what I
understood.
I would like to yield three minutes of
that time to Delegate Carson.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Carson.
DELEGATE CARSON: Mr. Chairman,
ladies and gentlemen: When I came to this
Convention I think I approached the issues
of the comptroller and the attorney general
with an open mind. I had, in fact, stated
during the election campaign preceding my
coming here that I thought we ought to in-
vestigate whether or not these offices should
remain elective.
I have attempted to give these issues my
best thought, and I have become convinced
that both should be elected.
The comptroller of this State has been in
existence for 166 years now, beginning in
the Constitution of 1851. My memory of
history shows that in 1851 this State, so
far as the fiscal matters were concerned,
was in a perilous state. We got out of that
situation, and for 166 years we have had
decent and responsible fiscal management
in the State of Maryland. We have had
responsible and eminent persons willing to
run for and be elected to the office of comp-
troller, including an eminent delegate here
today who later became governor of this
State for two terms, and did a fine job.
I think this office should, because of this
history, be retained as an elective one. I
think we should not discard what history
has shown to us to be a good office per-
forming a valuable function.
I think it is also important that the
people overwhelmingly think this. They de-
sire this. They understand this. They
want it.
I think we should vote in favor of it.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Adkins, I
understand you have a little over two min-
utes that you may allocate, if you choose.
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DELEGATE ADKINS: Mr. Chairman,
I surrender the rest of my controlled time.
I am perfectly willing now to hear from the
rest of the delegates.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Sybert.
DELEGATE SYBERT: I will do the
same, Mr. Chairman.
THE CHAIRMAN: Does any other dele-
gate desire to speak in favor of the amend-
ment against the Committee Recommenda-
tion?
Delegate Della.
DELEGATE DELLA: Mr. President, is
that under uncontrolled time?
THE CHAIRMAN: Uncontrolled but
limited time.
DELEGATE DELLA: Mr. President,
fellow delegates to this Convention: I sup-
pose six months ago that you would have
gotten odds of a thousand to one that I
would be speaking in favor of Goldstein re-
taining his job, because I have never voted
for Mr. Goldstein and never will. But I am
leaving personalities aside.
I have had experience with the comp-
troller's office. He has been there to audit
the president of the Senate's books as to
disbursements and I was well satisfied with
the job that was done. I thought it was
necessary that it should be done. I am
sure, if any vouchers are to be paid, I
think we need someone — I am certainly
not speaking of personalities when I speak
of Mr. Goldstein — but I think we need
someone to look over the fiscal matters of
this State, and I might say that that job
as comptroller is more sensitive than the
job of being executive of this State.
You must observe government and you
must go through the experience of seeing
how the office operates.
I would prefer that the governor be ap-
pointed by someone rather than have the
comptroller appointed, because I think the
comptroller speaks for the public.
Now I have heard stated in the halls
around here that Mr. Goldstein embarrassed
Mr. Agnew. Lo and behold, I think each
branch of government has embarrassed the
other branch at one time or another, and
certainly the legislative branch has very
often embarrassed the chief executive of
the state. However, I think we have to get
away from personalities, and such consid-
erations of the fact, for example, that Mr.
Goldstein embarrassed the governor on es-
timates of income, and, therefore, we have
to get rid of Mr. Goldstein.
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