The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-11-15

We had once what was popularity called ere.
''gisry Law in this city, and as the credit of that
measure has always been claimed by the Wing
and its repeal generally imputed TO the Dem,
ocratc party, we think short history of the
facts, they really exist, with regard to it. may
not be unintercsting at this particular moment
when pretty unanimous public sentiment seems
to call for the re-esahliShment of some such svs-
TEN. 1t will be remembered that one of the Con-
situations of the State of Maryland went into ope-
ration in 1898. THIS was brought about by the
action of the nineteen" reCusan senatorial cleo
tors who refused to 60 into convention with the
rest, until promise was extorted to make certain
changes in The then existing Constitution. As
these changes involved q considerable extension Of
the right of sufrage-electing the Governor and
members of the Senate directly by the people-it
was probably considered proper time to place
additional safeguards around the ballot-box. AT
all events, the same Legislature which confirmed
the constitutional changes of the previous one,
and thus made them effective, passed an act enti-
tied, "An Act to guard against Fraud in the ex.
''ercise of the Elective Franchise in the City OF
Baltimore ard 10 secure the Rights of Voters.
''and to establish with greater certainty the
rules of evidence to be observed Mt all Elections
sin said city.-l837. Chap. 333'' This wa:
the celebrated Registry Law, which went into OPP
Grafton here in the fall of 1888, under which this
city returned an entire Wing delegation to the
Legislature, and gave small majority for STEELE
as Governor. 1t is well known, however, that
STEELE was not elected, Gov GRAsoN having been
oh, l,,r, wit a.,
1t is believed this registration law was one of the
first, if not the very first, ever passed in this
country. 1t appears now to have been an effective
and quite unobectionahe measure: it was even
submitted to the vote of the people of Baltimore,
as they came to be registered; and if a majority
had voted against it, it would have been pro-
claimed by the GOVERNOR null and void. What
ever may have been the merits or dement's of the
law, there is no doubt that it encountered storm
of opposition from the Democratic party Mt that
time. Coupled rs it was with the concessions to
the popular influence, which had Just been wrung
so reluctantly from the adherents of the old Con-
stitution, it probably regarded with a suspi-
cion which might have found it difficult to point
out anything really Objectionable in it, 1t was
denounced ms being, somehow aristocratc-in-
tended TO deprive the poor man of bis vote, and
as creating an invidious distinction between voters
within, and voters outside, Of Baltimore (which
it did, 1t was so furiously opposed that there is
some probability that it may have decided the
State against the Wings. At all events, their
ardor in its behalf was very much cooled by the
experiment which they made of it. One of the
provisions of the law gave the appointment of the
Registers to the GOVERNOR and Senate. The
election of Governor GRAsoN, of course, insured
the appointment of Democratic officers to register
voters-and at the election of 1899, the Democrats
carried the city of Baltimore as well as the whole
State, so far as the House of Delegates was con-
cerned. The parties stood in that BODY AZ Demo-
Gratis TO 81 Wings In the Senate, however. a sniff
Gent number Of Wings held over to keen the major
ity, and parties then stood: Wings IL, Democrats
1t is therefore obvious that as to pass bill repeal
ing the registry law required the vote of the SEN
ate as well as that of the House. it would not have
been done without the consent of the Wings in
that body. The Democratic party was 30