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over the past weekend, and I know of no
petition, that was passed through the State
of Maryland as to their position this week-
end on the comptroller or the attorney
general.
Thank you.
DELEGATE BENNETT: Here it is.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Sickles.
DELEGATE SICKLES: Mr. Chairman,
I would like to oppose the motion, and I
must admit to great disappointment with
respect to the votes that we had yesterday.
I say disappointment, but not surprise. I
think the two themselves are quite awe-
some.
Dictatorship and integrity in govern-
ment: I believe I share the concern of all
of our citizens on these two very important
aspects, but unfortunately there is an ele-
ment here which even transcends these two
basic elements, and I certainly want to
treat this as kindly as possible. I am re-
minded of the poem that I am sure many
of you have heard, "I am careful of the
words I say, I make them soft and sweet,
I never know from day to day what ones
I'll have to eat."
So in sort of thrashing around looking
for a phrase, I found one this morning in
the Washington Post, and not on the edi-
torial page, but if you will look at the
article by Jack Eisen, his last sentence,
and I think it sort of puts it all in focus.
He says, "but as the talk and the shouting
proved the last time around, all bets are
off when they involve wounded office holders
fighting for political survival."
I do not object to office holders fighting
for political survival. I am human enough
to think that I will be perhaps doing the
same thing. So I fault no one, but I think
it puts us all to a bigger test on this vote
than any other test we have had before.
Many of you worry about the tyranny
of the state executive. I worry about the
tyranny of the national government, if we,
in this State, do not continue to pull our
share of the load. Some worry about a
structure, which will be the appearance of
integrity in government.
I worry about a system which will at-
tract competent and honest men to do a
good job.
Some worry about the destruction of our
democracy by removing some office holders
from the ballot books, and I would worry
about the destruction of our democracy by
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making those who are elected to office un-
able to perform.
I worry about a system that says that
the governor is capable and able to ap-
point those people who are concerned with
our health but cannot appoint the collector
of taxes.
THE CHAIRMAN: You have one-half
minute, Delegate Sickles.
DELEGATE SICKLES: A system that
allows the governor to select those in whom
we trust the lives of our children, but we
cannot trust him to select the head book-
keeper.
I think we ought to put all this in proper
focus. I think we ought to look closely at
the kind of functions that are being per-
formed, and where they belong in our
structure of government.
I agree to this compromise, rather re-
luctantly, but I think what it does is show
that there is really no need for the comp-
troller to serve on that board, and that
some of the other members of that board
might perform the functions which are
now lacking, of checking on the comptroller.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Beachley.
DELEGATE BEACHLEY: I would like
to tell you just how people in Washington
County felt when there was a poll pre-
sented to them, in which they were to vote
on whether they wanted the election or ap-
pointment of a comptroller and attorney
general.
A poll was taken by the newspapers in
the county, and the vote was three to one
in favor of the election of the comptroller
and also of the attorney general.
In addition, during the campaign prior
to the Convention, there were very few
persons who mentioned that they were in
favor of appointed officials in their county.
Since the Convention has been in session,
I have spoken to several groups and I can
only recall only three people who definitely
spoke out for the appointment, so in our
county, as I see it, from those two points
of view, the results in the paper and also
the contacts with the people, they are in
favor of elected officials.
THE CHAIRMAN: Any delegate desire
to speak in opposition to the amendment,
in favor of the Committee proposal?
Delegate Byrnes.
DELEGATE BYRNES: Mr. Chairman,
very briefly I would like to suggest to the
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