The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1872-05-25
.Ku-KLur i'm MARYLAND.

1t is we'll known fact that Anne. Arundel
county wep.1or the Republican ticket by 1913
majority in 1870 but by the frauds practiced by
the Democratic party in 1871 the county was
carried for that ticket by considerable MAORI.
ty. The frauds practced by Democratic reg
istrars and judges of election were wholesale.
Congress passed an act in 1870, known as the
reinforcement act" for the purpose of securing
to every voter his right to exercise that privilege
and furnishing all who do any act to deprive
them of it. The act was passed to protect color
ed citizens in their rights under the Fifteenth
Amendment By the deliberate concert of ac-
ton previously agreed upon by the managers of
the party in Anne Arundel county last fall, some
two or three hundred colored citizens were de-
prived of their right to vote in consequence of
their names not being found upon the registra-
ton books on election day. This resulted from
the registrars refusal 10 register colored.me en-
titled 10 registration and from the fact that they
struck off the names of large numbers of resident
colored voters of the county prior TO the return
of the books to the county clerks office.
This wholesale piece of Democratic honesty
brought its results in the defeat of the Republic
can majority in Anne Arundel county.
Since the election the United States authori-
ties, under the provisions of the act referred to,
have hunted up these bold vioators of the law
of the land. Fourteen of them were indicted by
the United States grand jury prior TO the adj
journment of the Legislature. That body of Su-
| -. - 1c md
fit, in its supreme wisdom and its we'll known
proclvities for the exercise of Democratic econ
omy, to pass law and make an appropriation
to employ counsel to dsfenl the criminals that
mad violated the law, Aid the purity Of the
ballot and directed staU9st the heart of the Re-
public.
On Wednesday, the 18th instant, the first case
was commenced in the United States Circuit
Court in Baltimore city. George W. Murdoch,
the registrar for the Annapolis district, was put
upon trial for having stricken the names of a
number of legal colored voters from the list Of
registration and for refusing to register a num-
Der of voters entitled to registration. In accord
ance with the act of the Maryland Legislature,
Attorney General A. X. Syester, was employed
as counsel for the defendant. Milton Whitney,
ESQ, was also counsel. These gentlemen filed
demurrer to the indictment The giat of the de-
murrer was that Congress has no power to in
terfere by legislation to punish State officers,
who are amenahle to the State laws" This
brought the question of the validity of the law
squarely before the court. After deciding other
points raised by the demurrer, Judge Bond said :
$50 far as the appropriateness OF the act Of
Congress with reference to the purpose of entorc
ing the Fifteenth Amendment is concerned, we
think it is not matter for the consideration of
the court, but is wholly within the determine
ton of Congress"
When the demurrer had been thus overruled
the counsel for the defense pleaded mot guilty"
and went to trial on the facts in the case.
THE EVIDENCE.
The books of registration for Annapolis dis
trict of Anne Arundel county were produced by
the clerk of the County Court. which were re-
turned by George W Murdoch, the registrar.
Richard Miles testified that he had applied to
said Murdoch TO be registered in 1870, showing
that he was entitled to vote but Murdoch refused
TO register him. He applied again for registra
ton 10 1871, when Murdoch demanded proof OF
his age Miles went to Stanton, Va. the place
of his birth, and obtained the affidavit of his
mother and Robert W. Powers, properly certi
fed 10 by the clerk of the court of Amelia coun-
ty, Va, showing that be (Miles) was over 81
years of age.
The following entry was made upon the regis
tration book Orchard Miles, age % born 10
Stanton, Va. resided in Anne Arundel county
three years cause of disqualification, did not
satisfy the register of his age (non age) -
offar 70 of fho in h,t
was refused because his name did not appear up
on the registration list. The papers above re-
ferred 10 were handed to Murdoch before be had
closed bis registration in October, 1871.
Testimony was introduced showing that var-
Gus other parties who offered to register and were
refused, and others whose names had been strick-
trcs l. - ~ II 1lc!s .ircscSssa3 i,ruslys
at The vs. and D fe.tla 70 ote bui lie s3ges re-
fused to lake their votes because their names did
not appear on the registry list. Further testimo-
ny was introduced showing that a number OF the
men whose names were stricken from the list by
Murdoch were known 10 him as residents of An
napolis at the time, that most of them were well
known in Annapolis and particularly to the
politicians. Ii was shown tina: Judge Miller, one
of the judges of the Court of Appeals from Anne
Arundel county, had told Murdoch that no ones
name should be stricken from the list Except in
cases where be had perfectly clear proof"
napolis and had voted twice. James Davis had
resided in Annapolis thirty years, knew Murdock
and Murdoch knew him, WAS registered and voted
in 1870. Levi Miller had lived in Annapolis
since emancipation 10 1864, was 6fty-three years
old, knew Murdoch, bul was not certain MurdUck
knew him, offered TO vote but was told his name
was not on the list Henry Lowry is "a years OF
age has lived in Annapolis all his life, has never
removed from the city or changed his residence,
first discovered that his name was not on the
voting list on election morning, had known Muir
dock for 20 years, was refused his vote. Abra-
ham Hebron had lived in Annapolis twelve years.
went to Murdoch to he registered, he refused him
because he (Hebron) was sometimes absent from
Annapolis, Annapolis was his home, Mnrdock re-
fused to put him on the list and told him to get
a certificate from Judge Miller, which he did
but when he returned Murdock had closed the
registration and gone away, and it was not yet
six clock, the time at which the registration
could only close legally solomon Snowden was
20 years of age, resided in Annapolis since 1865
lived in his own house. worked in Baltimore
carrying the hod in the building season, knows
Murdock, thinks Murdoch knows him, first knew
his name had been stricken from the list two or
three days before the election. Frank SnOwdeu
is aged % years, lives in Annapolis with mis-
mother, worked near Baltimore last summer,
found bis name stricken from the list when be
went home to vote Jacob Ross lived in Annap-
oils six years, left there to live Horns Point
in June, was registered by Murdoch without any
difficulty, his name was not on the list on cleo
ton day Joseph Edwards lived in Annapolis
Eve years, worked on the Union railroad in Bal
timore city, was registered but his name was
stricken from the list by which be was deprived
of voting.
James T. League testified that Murdoch said to
him, ''Never mind, we going to beat you !;
we have got the power, and we will do it by fair
means il we can, by foul means if we must ; that
is Democratic principle amt ?' This was
sustained by Two other witnesses.
The testimony for the defense shows that Muir
dock refused to register one of the applicants un-
less he produced certfcaI lie of pardon for having
been in the peneten,iary - A number of promi-
nent Democratic gentleasNl testified to Mnrdock' .
good reputation in The community" The coun-
sci for the defense then asked for instructions TO
The jury by granting prayers. The court grant
ed tour of the prayers asked for by the counsel.
The first prayer granted instructed the Jury
| that before they could convict they must 'tbe-
eve that the error of judgment or determination
was wi'ul and Knowingly made with intent to
deprive" the parties of their rights to vote The
second is that they canno, convict il they find he
executed the duties of his office in good faith ac-
eording to his understanding of lis true intent
and meaning" The third is that the jury must
find from the evidence that of the parties
were entitled under the law 10 be registered as a
voter in Annapolis The fourth insructs the
jury that they cannot convict unless "they be-