The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-04-25
Freedom of Elections.

Hon. james b. Groome of Maryland, drew
for the United States Senate last Friday,
striking picture ofmiltary interference with
elections in Maryland, during the war. lie
said:
viii state that on several occasions dur
ing the late war; at the stated periods when
by the constitution and laws of the State of
Maryland her people were called upon to Sc
lect their rulers the military power of the
General Government was eXerted to the ut
most TO prevent them from exercising any
freedom of choice, and to compel them to ac-
cept such rulers as the Administration thought
would best subserve its purposes, and hence
what was by courtesy called an election was
but solemn mockery of the forms of the
law
The interference by the military assumed
many forms. Proclamations were issued
which were intended to intimidate and pre-
vent voters who were opposed to the ticket
favored by the military from coming to the
polls Test oaths of the most searching char
acter, for which there was no legal warrant,
were established and the judges of election
were forbidden under. heavy penalties to nc
cept the ballot of any person who declined to
take them, and many persons who were able
and willing to take them were by the military
refused permission to do so or to vote. Many
persons in every part of the State who were
legally entitled to vote were prevented from
doing so, while soldiers who were known to
be non-residents were permitted to vote in
some instances without challenge and in 9TH
ers in spite of challenge. Wholesale arrests
of unoffending citizens were made, and judges
of election were threatened with arrest if they
dared to disobey the military cdicts, and in
the few instances where they were bold enough
10 dot In lra o,.rn1 i,,f., A 4
one OF more Of the elections armed soldiers
surrounded some of the polling places, and
prevented such persons as they did not desire
to vote from approaching them. At other
polling places the voter had to approach the
ballot box between soldiers with drawn sabers
At still Others the military officers SAT in the
room with the judges and challenged and re-
jected votes at their pleasure, examined the
tickets as they were presented, and permitted
none but the favored ticket TO be voted. In
word the military scrupled at nothing
which was required to defeat the will of the
people and TO secure the result desired by
the Administration of the General Govern
ment.
Mr. Groomc's speech did not deal in general
charges alone, but he stated the specific occa-
sions and the manner in which officers in conf
mand of troops forcibly intcrfercd to prevent
citizens of the State from voting any ticket
but one approved by them, He also quoted
from the message of Governor A. W. Brad
ford, to the Legislature in 1864, denouncing
and protesting against the action fthetroops
in sitting the freedom of election in loyal
State.
The bitter feelings excited by the unwar-
ranted interference ofthe military with the bal
lot box have been obliterated by time; but the
events themselves are remembered, and they
furnish an unanswerable reply to the argu-
ments of Senator Blaine and other Republi-
cans that the fears of the 4 Democrats are
groundless. No people ever lost their liberty
suddenly, but the approach of tyranny has
ever been by nsidious steps and with argu-
ments to allay the fears of patriotic minds.