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Consequently, it seemed to me that the
far better thing to do was to arrange to
have the charters set the date of election.
The Baltimore City revised charter, under
which we are operating now, provides for
an election in 1967 in November and every
four years thereafter.
Consequently, in sponsoring this amend-
ment, I am really sponsoring the same idea
which we sought to constitutionalize this
morning. I realize that Baltimore City runs
a hazard that later the General Assembly
may decide to act upon the subject matter
and change the date.
However, this is a hazard which all the
counties run, and I do not see why we
should ask to have any specific exception
for Baltimore City. Therefore in the inter-
est of proper constitutional form and be-
cause nowhere else in the constitution, so
far as I know, does any political subdivision
have an exception or is it singled out, I
felt it would be far better to go along with
the language of this amendment. The lan-
guage is extremely flexible but it also al-
lows for uniformity in the scheduling of
elections which many of the members here
would like to have if the General Assembly
should so conclude.
It appears to me, therefore, that while
this is a compromise, everyone can find
within it the grasp of what they consider
to be ideal. If we went any further, it ap-
pears to me we would be legislating, and I
think we should try to avoid this.
I would hope the amendment would pass.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Chabot.
DELEGATE CHABOT: Mr. Chairman, I
rise in opposition to this amendment. Al-
though, as with Delegate Schloeder, I felt
that what we did this morning was bad, I
suggest that this amendment is far worse.
Under what we did this morning, at least
Baltimore City would have its elections in
the odd-numbered years and would have the
benefits which the majority of the Com-
mittee wished the entire State to have.
Under this proposal, Baltimore City's status
is subject to the, I must use the words,
whims and vagaries of politics as it is
practiced in this building at other times of
the year.
I suggest that the Baltimore City delega-
tion, some of whose members complained
so mightily a few weeks ago that politics
was being practiced in this Convention, and
who participated in what I respectfully say
is the most arrogant display of politics yet
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on the floor of this Convention this morn-
ing, will rue the day that they gave the
rest of the State the option to decide when
Baltimore City holds its elections.
Accordingly, although I very much dis-
agree with what we did this morning, I
urge you to vote down this amendment and
keep what we did this morning-.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Needle, do
you desire to speak in favor of the amend-
ment? You may proceed.
DELEGATE NEEDLE: I desire to offer
an amendment to the amendment.
THE CHAIRMAN: Is your amendment
printed?
DELEGATE NEEDLE: No, it is not.
THE CHAIRMAN: Will you state it?
DELEGATE NEEDLE: I would strike
out the second sentence which runs from
the word "unless" in line 10 through the
word "officials" in line 14 and insert in lieu
thereof the following words : "elections of
all county officials shall be held on the
same day in the same year as provided by
public general law."
THE CHAIRMAN : As the Chair under-
stands it, Delegate Needle, you would like
to amend Amendment No. 21 by striking
out the sentence beginning in line 10 and
ending on line 14 and inserting in lieu
thereof a sentence reading, "elections of all
county officials shall be held on the same
clay of the same year as provided by law",
is that correct?
DELEGATE NEEDLE: "By public gen-
eral law".
THE CHAIRMAN: The amendment has
not been printed.
Is there any objection to considering the
amendment at this time
DELEGATE BOYCE: Yes.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Boyce ob-
jects. The amendment cannot be considered
until printed.
DELEGATE NEEDLE: The amendment
is written —
THE CHAIRMAN: The amendment has
to be printed in accordance with the rules
and on the desks of the delegates. If you
will get somebody working on it right
quickly, you can have it printed.
DELEGATE NEEDLE: Can we then
suspend consideration of Amendment No.
21 until this is printed?
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