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that there is no one individual in this room
who believes in the capitalistic society more
than I, but at the same time I want to say
this: In my opinion, there is no freedom
without economic freedom.
DELEGATE JAMES (presiding) : Does
anyone wish to speak?
Let's see. Where are we? Does anyone
wish to speak for?
Delegate Key?
DELEGATE KEY: No.
DELEGATE JAMES (presiding) : Does
anyone wish to speak against the amend-
ment?
Delegate Key.
DELEGATE KEY: I had not planned
to speak at all, but Delegate Hutchinson
stood up and sort of aroused something
within my breast, and words will not stay
in. I think the crash of 1929 killed the true
capitalistic form of g-overnment that we
once enjoyed. We have been on a detour
from that since the Roosevelt administra-
tions of the 1930's.
Now, our constitution does in its pre-
amble recognize that all political power
originates in the people, and that all gov-
ernment is instituted to secure their right
to life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness.
Now, Delegate Pullen just stole my next
sentence. There is no freedom without eco-
nomic freedom. There is no liberty without
economic freedom, and there is no life,
real life, without economic security. So
having recognized in our constitution that
political power originates in the people and
that all government is instituted to secure
these rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit
of happiness, I want you also to recognize
the same political power and the same gov-
ernment has to work to secure that eco-
nomic freedom that is necessary before
any other can be secured. And do not ever
forget that socialism which we just do not
want to mention, but which we do have
parts of, is for the rich and free enter-
prise as much as it is for the poor.
DELEGATE JAMES (presiding) : Does
anyone wish to speak for the amendment?
Delegate Hanson.
DELEGATE HANSON: Mr. Chairman,
I rise to speak for the amendment with a
sense of real despair. I happen personally
to believe everything that is said in the
proposal of the Committee. I believe it is
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right. I believe it is just, and I believe it
ought to be the policy of the State of
Maryland. I just do not believe it ought to
be in the constitution of the State of
Maryland. I do not believe it ought to be in
the constitution of the State of Maryland
because I think it is utterly meaningless
in the constitution of the State of Mary-
land.
Where I think it has meaning is in the
marching orders of the political parties, in
the laws of this State, in its administration
of justice, in the compassion of its officials
and in the discussion of the laws. I think
in the constitution it has a meaning equal
to those words in the 1867 Constitution
that said monopolies are odious, contrary
to the spirit of a free government, prin-
ciples of commerce, and ought not to be
suffered.
But this in the Constitution has not
stopped one of them from developing. Those
words in that Constitution that said that
the legislature ought to encourage the dif-
fusion of knowledge and virtue and it
ought to. But I submit, ladies and gentle-
men, we are not any more knowledgable
or virtuous by the fact of these words be-
ing in the Constitution than we would be
if they were not in the Constitution. That
is unfortunate. I deplore it, but I do not
think we help ourselves. I think we are
kidding ourselves. I think we are kidding
the people of this State if we put into the
constitution words that we cannot enforce,
words that we have no capacity to find self
enforcement for.
This does not guarantee us anything. I
think the right of collective bargaining
which we agreed to yesterday does guaran-
tee us something. It is an important right.
I think economic freedom is very impor-
tant. I think we ought to dedicate our-
selves to work for it. I think we ought to
insure that it gets enacted into the laws of
this State, but I do not see the utility of
putting it in the constitution. I do not be-
lieve that this advances us one step toward
a better annual income for any person in
the State or improves the economic well-
being of any person in the State. If we
have before us amendments which will do
that, I will gladly vote for them. I will
gladly help develop amendments if we can
develop them for the constitution that will
achieve that objective. This, unfortunately,
does not do it. I am afraid it is a sham.
DELEGATE JAMES (presiding): Are
you ready for the question?
I see some eager delegates who would like
to be heard. Does anyone wish to speak
in favor?
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