I received late yesterday afternoon a
letter of resignation from Delegate Ralph
R. Webster. I will ask the Clerk to read the
letter and the attachment with the letter.
READING CLERK: "To the Honorable
H. Vernon Eney, President, Constitutional
Convention of Maryland, State House, An-
napolis, Maryland. Dear Mr. Eney: As you
will recall, I was elected as one of four
delegates from Allegany County to the
Constitutional Convention. I attended the
initial session of the Convention and quali-
fied to serve in this capacity. Thereafter,
I became ill and have now been hospitalized
for quite some time. Due to my illness, I
have been unable to be present and par-
ticipate in the work of the Convention,
since the plenary session began on Sep-
tember 12, 1967. I have discussed my ill-
ness with my personal physician and I
have now concluded that my physical con-
dition will prevent me from serving as a
delegate to the Constitutional Convention.
Under these circumstances, I believe the
interest of the citizens of Maryland, and
of Allegany County, will best be served by
my resignation, so that a replacement can
be appointed. Therefore, effective immedi-
ately, I hereby resign as delegate to the
Constitutional Convention of Maryland, and
I request that you initiate whatever ap-
propriate action is necessary to enable the
Convention to appoint my successor as such.
Sincerely yours, Ralph R. Webster."
The above noted signature of Ralph R.
Webster was personally witnessed by each
of the undersigned: W. A. VanOrmer,
M.D., Lester Kiefer, M.D.
State of Maryland, Allegany County, to
wit: I hereby certify that on this, Sep-
tember 22nd, 1967, before the subscriber, a
Notary Public of the State of Maryland,
in and for Allegany County, aforesaid,
personally appeared W. A. VanOrmer,
M.D., and Lester Kiefer, M.D., both satis-
factorily identified to me and each made
oath in due form of law that he is and
has been attending Ralph R. Webster as
his physician, that he personally witnessed
the signature of said Ralph R. Webster on
the attached letter addressed to the Honor-
able H. Vernon Eney, President, dated
September 22, 1967; that prior to said
signature being affixed thereto, the con-
tents of said letter were read and explained
to said Ralph R. Webster; that in the
medical opinion of each said Ralph R. Web-
ster fully understood and assented to the
same and that thereupon he did affix his
signature thereto. Witness my hand and
notarial signature on the date above writ-
ten, by Virginia L. Carter, Notary Public. |
DELEGATE BEALL: Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: Just a second, Dele-
gate Beall, if you will, please, sir. We will
resume this point in the proceedings after
we heard the address from the Governor.
Sergeant-at-Arms:
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: His Ex;cellency,
the Governor of the State of Maryland.
GOVERNOR AGNEW: Mr. President,
distinguished Delegates to this Convention,
as a Governor who has had a rather chal-
lenging and busy week, I endorse and sup-
port the remarks of my predecessor, Gov-
ernor Tawes of yesterday, and I commend
him for his energetic defense of this office
and I share his indignation.
When I took advantage of your kind in-
vitation to address the organization session
of this Convention, I suggested broad prin-
ciples to guide your historic effort. I cited
general objectives, stressed basic ideals, and
concentrated on the essence rather than the
specific.
It was my contention then, and I risk re-
peating it today for it cannot be overem-
phasized, that for a constitution to endure
it must be mainly limited to an expression
of great principles.
What are these great universal prin-
ciples? First, to secure and sustain the
sovereignty of the people. Second, to pro-
tect and perpetuate the rights of the indi-
vidual. Third, to create a political structure
which safeguards the citizen by a series of
checks and balances among . . . but not
within . . . our three traditional branches.
Fourth, to develop that superstructure for
the State most conducive to efficient ad-
ministration, effective legislation and im-
partial adjudication.
Finally, to embrace a consistency of logic
which reflects in the fewest words the full-
est expression of a free society's solemn
and voluntary contract with its government.
This assembly has been convened so that
our State's Constitution may be reformed
and rewritten to conform to those stand-
ards — standards which our present docu-
ment fails to fulfill. All branches of our
state government must be strengthened and
streamlined. Simplicity and professionalism
must be encouraged, responsibility to the
electorate incisively exacted. Existing inco-
herencies require clarification. Superfluous
detail must be discarded. Above all, a
philosophy must prevail which recognizes
the constitutional imperative that omission
produces as significant an impact as in-
clusion. |
