that she will be the 38th speaker, beginning
the 65th minute of debate on this secondary
amendment.
Delegate Hopkins.
DELEGATE HOPKINS: Thank you.
I wish to speak in opposition to the
amendment to the amendment. Delegate
Cardin has pointed out the gerrymander
that we have lived under in Baltimore City
all of my life, and if you need any further
reference, I merely refer you to all of the
election returns for many, many years.
This applies both to members of the minor-
ity party and members of the other mi-
norities in the City.
If you have lived in certain parts of the
City or if you are of a certain party, you
therefore cannot ever get elected.
If this Convention does not do something
about this in recommending and standing
behind single-member districts, we will be
accused of carrying on the gerrymander.
Thank you.
THE CHAIRMAN: The Chair recognizes
Delegate Vecera to speak in favor of the
amendment to the amendment.
DELEGATE VECERA: Mr. Chairman,
Members of the Committee of the Whole:
I speak in favor of this amendment be-
cause I see that political kingdoms could
arise in Baltimore City. 33,000 people would
only take a matter of a few blocks. Po-
litical kingdoms could arise, more than we
have now, if we have any at all, and I
therefore speak strongly in favor of this
amendment for a multi-member district.
THE CHAIRMAN: The Chair recognizes
Delegate Gill to speak in opposition to the
amendment.
DELEGATE GILL: I was hoping I
would not have to raise this argument, be-
cause of trying to elect more Negroes to
the legislature. That is not my intention.
My intention is to try to get adequate
representation for people in Maryland, no
matter where they live.
Baltimore City, of course, is a prime ex-
ample of the fact that Negroes are not
elected. From the first district, the third
district, from the fifth district, from the
sixth district they never win any Negro
representation.
That is not the only group that is not
represented. From all of Baltimore City
there are many groups, many people who |
are not represented down here, and as a
result of the multi-member representation,
everybody represents nobody, or very few.
We have between 60,000 and 70,000 people
in each of the six districts in Baltimore
City. In the fifth district, most of the
people come from a certain precinct and
live within a mile of each other. How is
that representing 70,000 people? You can
take almost any other district in Baltimore
City, or anywhere around the State and
find the same thing. So many people are
not represented because with multi-member
representation it is impossible to represent
people in certain areas. So what happens?
The people who are selected are selected
because they can pull so many votes, and
by pulling so many votes they get on the
ticket and that ticket is elected. And of
course it goes over and over again.
We have an opportunity here to try to
represent more successfully, different kinds
of people, and all the people. If we con-
tinue to elect multi-member districts we
will continue to elect certain people, certain
areas, and the other people will simply
keep trying and never get elected.
THE CHAIRMAN: Does Delegate Lloyd
Taylor desire to speak in favor of the
amendment?
DELEGATE L. TAYLOR: Against the
amendment.
THE CHAIRMAN: Does anyone desire
to speak in favor of the amendment?
Delegate Wheatley.
DELEGATE WHEATLEY: Mr. Chair-
man, I am aware of the adage, "Blessed is
he who has nothing to say; he cannot be
persuaded to say it;" but even at that risk
I think I am compelled to rise to express
myself on what I consider to be one of the
key issues of the legislative branch of
government.
I think I have been consistent in my
approach that the government is truly good
that is close to the people, and for that
reason I have tried to listen very intently
to those who represent many counties of
the State where sparsity is indeed a great
factor. For that reason I have tried to ex-
press through my vote the wishes of their
constituents, to the degree that I am able.
I think now I call upon them to look
upon those who are in a different situation,
where not sparsity but density is a factor,
and I think density can be just as much a
problem as sparsity. |
