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stress is made about the efficacy, about
the important decisions of the attorney
general.
It seems to me that this is where the
problem is. In the day-to-day operations
of the executive department there are many
problems, and most sticky problems are
legal problems. We have a situation where
the department head must turn to an em-
ployee who is not his to give him some ad-
vice, and he is bound by it; so with these
fingers reaching down into these various
departments, you have dual leadership
with respect to the key issues.
Also, as one who has had a long back-
ground of private involvement in admin-
istration, I suggest that it is impossible
to supervise those who are not directly in
your control. The concept that the assistant
attorneys general around the State have
any direction or leadership must in itself
be omitted. Common decency dictates that
we never wash our linens such as this, and
I would behave as others have.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Weide-
meyer.
DELEGATE WEIDEMEYER: Would
you yield for a question?
DELEGATE SICKLES: I have a limited
amount of time.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Sickles has
not yielded.
DELEGATE SICKLES: But at least,
all has not been well in the State of Mary-
land. Although we have great cities in this
State, we still have slums here in Mary-
land. We have great wealth in this State,
and we still have poverty. We have good
police systems, and we still have crime in
our streets.
We have a good education system, and
we still have ignorance, and yes, we have a
democracy, and we still have bigotry in
this State. Not all is well in the State of
Maryland.
Let me remind you of a very popular
song. There is just one line in it, one line
that I ask you to remember: "How many
times can a man turn his head and pre-
tend that he just doesn't see?"
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Mason,
you have a little less than seven minutes to
allot.
For what purpose does Delegate Weide-
meyer rise?
DELEGATE WEIDEMEYER: Does
Delegate Sickles have any more time?
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DELEGATE SICKLES: I will be glad
to yield.
THE CHAIRMAN: He has one more
minute.
DELEGATE WEIDEMEYER: I gather,
being on the Washington scene for some
years, that you approve of appointing the
attorney general, rather than having the
people elect him?
DELEGATE SICKLES: I do, indeed.
DELEGATE WEIDEMEYER: Did you
approve of a president appointing his
brother as attorney general, a lawyer who
had never appeared in court until after he
was appointed Attorney General of the
United States?
DELEGATE SICKLES: I might say to
the gentleman I expressed great displeas-
ure when he did it. but after he did it and
I saw the job his brother did, I was very
pleased with the job.
DELEGATE WEIDEMEYER: Thank
you.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Mason,
DELEGATE MASON: I yield two min-
utes to Delegate Agnes Smith.
DELEGATE A. SMITH: Mr. Chairman
and ladies and gentlemen of the Conven-
tion: In my opinion, the voters of Mary-
land should not have any more of their
rights stricken from the constitution. In
1962, 422,135 voters voted for the success-
ful attorney general, 256,515 voted for the
unsuccessful attorney general.
In 1966, 530,000 voted for the attorney
general and 265,000 voted against the at-
torney general; a total of 795,000 voters
who knew what they wanted.
There is a serious danger in reducing
the scope of participation by the people in
their government. Our actions here at the
Convention should reflect our deep concern
for those responsible for our being here.
When we take away the privilege of voting
for a high office like that of attorney gen-
eral, we are destroying the right of the
people.
This is a very important issue to the
taxpaying voters of Maryland. I strongly
feel the interest of the present and future
generations of Marylanders will be better
served by a constitutionally elected attorney
general.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Mason.
DELEGATE MASON: Mr. Chairman, I
yield two minutes to Delegate Sybert.
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