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will be less effective as a legislator solving
complex controversial issues than a person
guided by the views of 40,000 or 50,000
voters.
What is the margin needed to get into
office in a primary? In the primary you
need about 1000 votes.
THE PRESIDENT: You have about one-
half minute.
DELEGATE BYRNES: I suggest to you
that those statistics are far more reveal-
ing in fact than all the theory in the world
that can be presented by general slogans
which were suggested in the memo.
I think, in sum, Mr. President and ladies
and gentlemen of the Convention, we have
before us an issue which is clearly a di-
vided one. It has divided us, and it has
divided the population; it is certainly some-
thing that will suggest political opposition
to the constitution.
This is a reality we must all face.
Above all, it is clearly not something by
its very nature which suggests to us it is
all perfectly right. It has a great number
of defects, and deficiencies. We only hope
you will recognize them and give the com-
mission and the legislature the reasonable
amount of flexibility they need in drawing
the lines for the future.
THE PRESIDENT: Delegate Gallagher.
DELEGATE GALLAGHER: I yield two
minutes to Delegate Hopkins.
DELEGATE HOPKINS: Delegate
Byrnes referred to the foremost authority
in the country on single-member districts.
I listened to see to whom he was referring.
I assumed it was the Sunpapers. I have
been in touch with Professor Malcolm
Jewel at the University of Kentucky, and
he has been studying this specific subject
for a long time, but for the last year
he has actually gone into the states where
single-member districts have been adopted,
and he has, needless to say, much material
on the situation.
He is familiar with the situation in
Maryland, and I think it is fair to state
that he has encouraged me to continue the
fight for single-member districts. While
we were speaking of authorities, I thought
I should throw in this person who has
worked on it in great depth, and quite
recently.
Not being a lawyer myself, I will have
to depend upon my personal experience in
making up my mind on how to vote on this.
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I have learned by working with men and
women at election time, and inbetween, in
political organizations, with civ:", organiza-
tions, and in dealing with candidates and
elected officials.
When you get to the level of the state
legislature, the average voters are quite
frustrated. At election time is is hard to
get them interested in who is running.
There are so many candidates on the ballot
that they just throw up their hands. The
people at the precinct level want to know
one or two that they can really find out
about, and get to know, and vote for, and
then feel they can come to these people
in the General Assembly and know what
they are doing. This is the feeling of the
voters who bother to go and vote on elec-
tion day.
The City of Baltimore realizes the prob-
lem of the people in the neighborhood who
feel frustrated and removed from govern-
ment. They are trying to take the City
government back to the precinct level. Let
us do the same thing on the state level,
and give these people single-member dis-
tricts.
THE PRESIDENT: Delegate Lord, you
have slightly more than one minute to al-
locate.
DELEGATE LORD: I yield the time to
Delegate Adkins.
THE PRESIDENT: Delegate Adkins.
DELEGATE ADKINS: I shall try to use
slightly less. I shall try to address myself
to any delegates who are undecided, if any
there be.
I approached this problem with an open
mind. I had no preconceived convictions. I
have heard it said that single-member dis-
tricts aid the Republicans. I have heard it
said they aid the Democrats. I have heard
it said that they aid parochial systems, and
increase visibility.
I have seen the two senior officers in the
legislature take opposite sides. I am con-
vinced that there is no overriding decisive
principle. I am further convinced that there
are areas of this State which need single-
member districts. I am convinced that
there are areas of this State where single-
member districts would be harmful in ef-
fecting fair and equitable representation.
I suggest that we leave the flexibility
within these very narrowly prescribed lim-
its where they should be with the General
Assembly. If it is possible to have the best
of all possible worlds, it seems to me that
this would do it.
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