The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-04-09
Our Municipal Elections.

Are the colored citizens to be allowed an
opportunity to register, and to vote at the
Corporate Election of Elkton, which takes
place the first Monday i'll May? If not,
the Fifteenth Amendment is violated by
the authorities of the county and State of
Maryland, and Congress is pledged to the
nation to apply the proper means to remedy
this violation of the Constitution of the
United States.
The new Registration Law which struck
the wsrti achHe from the Election Laws of
the State provides, "that the Officers of
Registration shall on the third Monday in
September 1870, and on the same day and
month in every year thereafter &c, &c,
open the books Of Registration and sit fol-
three days in every District in the counties
for the purpose of Registering the names
of voters in said District. 1t will be seen
that the new Registration Law does not
authorize the Registers to open their bOeks
for the purpose Of Registration before the
"third Monday in September 1870" In
the old Laws they are ordered to open
them before all Elections, Federal, State
and Municipal. Herein the late Legisla-
ture has improved on the old to then
advantage. All persons not registered ac-
cording to our Election Laws are deprived
of their votes.
The word uhio in the Registration Law
just repealed, prevented the colored men
from placing their names on the Resistery
List, and the present Law, names a day so
remote for giving them all opportunity to
become Registered, that they are deprived
of the right of the elective franchise for
all municipal purposes, when Elections are
held previous to November next. Here
the Registration Law is clearly in conflict
with tho Fifteenth Amendment, and if the
Judge of any Municipal Election obeys
the Law of the State by refusing to receive
the ballot of any person offering to vote,
whose name does not appear on the Regis
terry List. then he violates the provisions OF
the Fifteenth Amendment, and becomes
may be provided by Congress in the law to
enforce the provisions of that Amendment
1t will be seen that it is no fault of the
colored voter that his name is not on the
list was last open for correction, the laws
Of the State forbid his being Registered
But now that the Federal Constitution,
annulling all such laws, guarantees him the
,rh+ 1ata 10, a1-a 10,
him Of the right few months longer by
State law, while pretending to comply with
the requirements of the Fifteenth Amend
ment. Not only is the time stretched away
Copperheads shall see fit, at their own good
will and pleasure, to allow the colored men
to Register but the short space Of three
days only, is allowed in the counties to
to them the large increase of voters. This
work is to he done by one reluctant. and
perhaps slow Democratic writer. The law
bears on its face the strongest evidence of
the intention of the late Legislature to
defeat the requirements of the Fifteenth
Amendment in this State, by not open and
defiant measures. but underhanded and
crafty means. Will the guardians of the
rights of the newly made voters allow this
cunning eopperhead dodge to defeat the
will of the majority in Maryland, pass with
out applying the proper correction by
promptly appointing Officers Of Registra-
ton who will faithfully Register every man
entitled to vote in the State of Mary land :?
We trust that Congress will not allow the
Republicans of Maryland to be deprived Of
their rights by any cunningly laid scheme
of INSCRIPTIONS Democratic politicians.
If the new Registry Law does not take
effect from the date of its passage, then the
old law will remain in force until the first
Of June, and the Register Of the 3rd Dis
trie5 is bound to open his books ten days
before the Corporation Election of EIkton
and comply with the requirements of the
law.