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limited circumstances, and he could not
coerce his employees for asking him to lis-
ten. No one, I believe, can claim that there
is any inherent evil of employees getting
together and designating their own repre-
sentative. If this becomes part of our con-
stitution, then they could not be fired by
their employer for doing so.
That is about all that this provision does.
It is a very small thing, but it is a firm
step down a long road that will result in
dignity and security for many citizens of
this State.
T.here are those who suggest that this
should not be in the constitution, and they
have applied some rule that they have ac-
cepted for themselves as to what should be
in a bill of rights.
I remember once that Franklin Roosevelt
spoke roughly to this argument —
THE CHAIRMAN: You have a little less
than one-quarter of a minute.
DELEGATE SICKLES: —better the oc-
casional thoughts of a government living in
the spirit of charity, then the consistent
omissions of a government frozen in the
ice of its own indifference.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Kiefer, you
have two and a half minutes to close.
DELEGATE KIEFER: Mr. Chairman,
ladies and gentlemen, I am like a lone tree
battling all these experienced and stronger
speakers.
However, I have to reiterate, we are here
battling for all of the people, not just for a
segment, and I say to you I am not sure all
labor is in favor of this, just certain groups.
I say that many of the things said in
favor of the amendment are nonsequiturs.
They are fine principles with which I am a
hundred percent and wholly in agreement;
but I do not think this provision belongs in
the constitution. Furthermore, it is not in
the same category with conservation and
protection against bad business practices,
which applies to everybody.
This just applies to some people and there
are some people who will say this is a right;
some people who will say please do not
force this on me. It is not the kind of in-
alienable, natural permanent right that we
should freeze into this constitution, particu-
larly when this can be put on the statute
books and is on the statute books in many
states and in this State.
Labor is quite well protected, and perhaps
can be better protected. I do not object to
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that. I simply say that it does not belong
here. I am like the old fellow who went
bear hunting and shot at the bear and
missed him. The bear came chasing after
him. He ran down the hill. He finally
grabbed the tree and swung up. The bear
went after him, and he said, "Oh Lord,
please help me, but if you can't help me,
don't help the bear."
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Weidemeyer.
DELEGATE WEIDEMEYER: I wonder
if Mr. Kiefer would yield for a question.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Kiefer, do
you yield for a question ? You have one
minute.
DELEGATE KIEFER: Yes, sir.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Weidemeyer.
DELEGATE WEIDEMEYER: You men-
tioned three letters. Would you state the
names of the organizations from whom you
got those letters?
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Kiefer.
DELEGATE KIEFER: Maryland Classi-
fied Employees Association, Inc., Baltimore
County Classified Employees Association,
Inc., and the Classified Municipal Employees
Association, Inc., Baltimore City, represent-
ing something over 25,000 people, all say-
ing this is of legislative intent and charac-
ter, and please do not put it in the con-
stitution.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Weidemeyer.
DELEGATE WEIDEMEYER: Is their
position different at the present time from
what it was at the hearings?
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Kiefer.
DELEGATE KIEFER: No, we had peo-
ple who presented their point of view
shortly after the committee hearings. The
Committee knew about it and read corres-
pondence and papers from them.
THE CHAIRMAN: That ends the period
of controlled debate.
Before we enter into the uncontrolled de-
bate period, the Chair has had sent to the
desk several amendments to this section.
I will call them in the order in which
they apply to the language of the amend-
ment. Apparently the first one would be
Delegate Weidemeyer's.
Do you desire to offer your amendment
AB?
DELEGATE WEIDEMEYER: I think in
the interest of saving time, probably we
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