The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1866-11-08
Extract from GOV. swans
Decision Of the Esatf. Police
s'oninII ksIOners Ease.


Extract from Gov. syvann's
decision Of the Eiaif. Police
iksiOners Ease.
The right of the voters registered in
1866 to vote AZ the ltc municipal clec-
ton in the city of Baltimore led, as is
well known, 10 conflicting opinions on
the part Of experienced and eminent ju-
lists The Attorney General Of the
State took the ground that As the law
now stands--,he new registration not
being complctc--tlIo registered voters
of this year could not be rccogniEod.--
On the other hand, ii was held by Mes
srs RcycTdy johnson, J. II u. ijatTobc,
William Price, aud others eminent in
their profession, that the Registration
act did nj apply to corporations, and
that the city Of Baltimore stood in tho
same category, aud IN this opinion ]
fully concurrcl. because ! could not be-
licyc that the Legislature ever designed
TO dsfranchisc 50 large a Number q the
qualified voters Of the city Of Baltimore
upon mere tccbnicallty, aud thus
/ throw It's government into the hands ui
a small minority Of iis people. The etiy
Of Baltimore comprises population
greatly exceeding a quarter Of o million
l Of inhabitants. aud her registered vote,
/ lust aseeriaincd under the registration
I act, gives the number Of those entitled
/ 10 vote. including the old let, NJ lrRc.
I ton over a 900 This smallaggrcgaie
/ ia so large a population Is accoantcd for
I by the fact that only those who had u
/ ken no active part 10 lhe rebellion bad
/ been recognized by the regNtsF. "a Ga.
titled 20 vote. Of the aggregate Of
, I 1913 polled AZ The late municipal cleo
I ton the Mayor and successful city Of
hours received less than 5000 votes. In
a voting population, daly rosistgred Of
I $4,000
The glrring iajss,irc u shis exhibit
land the determination ~ exclude ~ G
people from yosies az tho runcipa
, cl6eiiob. couId not Gail 80 produra a
startling impression upon the cib1cns 81
y Gilmore. thc control anl Management,
Of whnsc government and pTvposiy were
taken out Of their hands By > mihpriiy
representing less ti,sp Que fourth Of her
Registered population THIS slaig Of
thugs, subgertiug the who'e wiuc'Flo
! Of republican government under Which
SIC have heretofore lived could hardly
/ have been expected t. receive the sane
/ ton Of any bu, those who were hup.pg
10 hold power az tho expense oi Use
people
80, tho people Of baltimore. aai l
aay 70 10 thclr credit a, lsE.abllins pit-
i1cus. relying upon the faithful .escca.
I iioa Of tic law regulating thcir 90 90
( ~ the Police Commis-ipneu. &Jieh
were rlow TO thiuk would b. denied
tbcm yielded -ub'nioou 90 the opinion
/ Of Attorney General Randall 10 tho con
I Glcui expectation that the deposit Of
thu.r vote. IN the second ballot hpx, rr-
quircd 10 be provided Tor rejected votes
wuuld giya them access tp the courts pi
their Staic. or t. thc Legislature when
that bnay convened ia January ue1t,
aud lhcy wcgc urged to such course 10
view @; Cbr conflicting opinion. Of conn
sci rather than 10 nsscrt wha; they be.
licycd to be their rights by cts oil ,iJ-
lcnce at the polls. They submitted
without a single aggression that ! haze
heard of, upon those IN authority,
Ga the dag Of election they were de-.
priyed not only of their right 70 vote by
the action Of the Judges AID police, but
they were denied also the remedy pro,
yidgd for in the act Of Assembly SO iar
"a thcy could control 1t, by tho absence
or uou.use Of the boxes for rejected bah
lots. Surely the boon asked for was
not nu unreasonable one 10 a voting
population Of twenty four thousand sew
cnteen thousand OF whom are believed
to be conservative ia their politics, 10
be permitted to appeal to the courts Tor
redress ms against an oliwrchy Of some
six thousand. many Of whom are Office
holders under the city government who
claimed under color Of law, to hold the
power of the city.
Ia 20 bold aud uuheard Of disregard
Of the express provisions OF the las 9nd
the rights Of 50 overwhelming MAORI
ty Of the people CT Baltimore, il would
hardly have been imagined that under
any prctext the Police Commissioners
would have countcnanccd such a pro-
cceding on the part of their subordinatcs
without a prompt exercise OF the power
vested ia them to remove them from
their places. Bat so they acted Up
to the commencement Of this inycStiga-
ton no explanation has been attempted,
nor has n single judge Of election been
removed in any part Of the city in any
Of the precincts where these violations
Of the law were reported to have oc.
Cured.
The evidence in the case proves be-
yond doubt that the Police Commits.
sioners have violated the law aud rcn.
dercd themselves liable to the charge of
misconduct in Office:
!. by creating or permitting to grow
up under their eyes, aud with their com
plicity, violent partisan organization,
treating all as disloyal who do not adopt
the views of the Radical party
2. BY denying the right Of til Coy.
ernor to entertain jurisdiction Of the
charges Of official misconduct as pre-
fcrred against said Commissioners.
3. BY appointing to Office, 9th as
judges Of election, special policemen aud
clerks exclusively from their own party.
and III many instances incompetent, and