Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1884-01-18
ReformatOry Legislation.

Onc OI tue measures WHICH nave IeCelN-
ed the fullest emphasis in the recent cam
paign, professedly by both political parties,
and by the Governor in his inaugural adj
dress, is that Of purifying the voting lists
and adopting such regulations as shall Sc
cure absolute fairness at elections
AS necessary to the accomplishment OF
the promised election reforms, the TINES
hrs heretofore called attention to the ne
cessity of amending section al of article
y of the revised code. subtitle "bribery
and corruption" by striking out the words
sat his expense" as contained in that sec
ton. These words create such an ambig-
uity in the act, that grave doubts have
been entertained as to whether persons
who make feasts on the morning of the
election and give away victuals ETC., to the
voters for the purpose of influencing their
votes, in violation of the act. cannot do so
with impunity, if the same is done, not at
their own private expense, but at that OF
some third party or political association
These election morning "breakfas's" have
been in the last ten years one of the most
vexatious and effective corrupting meth
DDS in this county that could be imagined
At these feasts, to which the colored vo-
tiers are attracted in large numbers, they
are worked up to condition of riotous
enthusiasm, and all who may have intend
ed to 'split their tickets" even for the
most inconsiderable local Office, are effec,
tually intimidated and prevented from so
doiGg. Efforts have been made in this
county in recent years to break up the
practice by virtue Of the section of law a.
bove referred to, but there is an opinion
prevailing among lawyers to the effect that
the fact that these feasis are generally gil
ven at the expense of the Republican Elk
ecutlve Committee would constitute. as
the law now reads, a valid defense. If
however, the law were amended in the
manner above suggested, then there would
no longer he any room for such doubts
Hence the necessity of so amending it.
AS another measure bearing directly up
on the question of purity of elections. es-
pecially so in the count of tie State
contiguous or adjacent to the neutral
ground and transient population of the
District of Columbia, is that of legisla,
tive definition of the nature and extent oil
the residence which shall be necessary to
constitute citizenship in this State. II
would appear TO the casual observer that
this question had been settled in suffi
ciently definite manner by The provisions
of section of article Of the constitution
which provides that every male citizen OF
the proper age 'whO has been a resident o.
the State and of the legislative district OF
Baltimore city or of the county in which
he may offer te vote, for sir months nert
preceding the election shall be entitled to
vote in the ward or election district in
whicA he resides" etc, and by the registra-
tion law which made qualitica ion under
that article condition precedent to reg
istration as a voter.
The circuit court OF this judicial circuit
has, however, failed to recognize in that
section of the constitution and The provi,
sions of the registration law any definite
rule TO govern its action in the decision OF
such cases. In the cases of two colored
men who formerly lived in this county
but who for a number of years past have
been living continuously in Washington
with their families. where they are engag
ed at permanent employment-one as q
shoemaker, and the other as a waiter in a
hotel-Chief Judge Stone decided that
they were entitled to registration as voters
upon their making oath that they had an
intention of ultimately returning TO This
county to live, although they were unable
to say at what future time they expected
or intended to do So. The court said that
he felt bound to cons'rue the term resi-
dence in the constitution, as equivalent to
political domiea, and that whenever the
party applying for registration would
make oath of the animus reoertendi. that
he should admit him as a voter
The Court admitted the danger result
ing from the establishment of that rule in
this county, lying, as it does, so close to
the nonvoting population of the District
of Columbia, and regretted that some
more definite rule had not been prescribed
by statute; but said that he should con.
tinue to follow that rule until some legis-
lative Interpretation of the matter had
BEEN made, or until the Court of Appea's
had passed upon it.
Other cases of similar nature have
been SO decided by the Court. and the
rule of citizenship which the Court has
laid down for the government of the regis
tration officers in the four counties of this
Circuit is that any non resident party uhe
sh0U Apply for registration in any election dis
trict Of the county, oho shall make oath 0,
an intention Of utimatly returning to tn
election district to lice, and that he has moi
coted elsewhere. shall be entitled to regis
tration; and this without regard to ehethe,
or not he has left any house or home esta5iist
ment in the district or county. and houerer
remote or indefinite the time Of his alleged
intended return may be.
1t is not difficult to see that any rule
which makes the unsupported oath of d
party as to purely psyche !ogical fact
upon which it would be very difficult tc
contradict him, the only condition to
citizenship, is dangerous RUE to estab
lish in communities near to a district in
which the right of franchise does not exist
This matter would seem to call for legis
lative action. In our judgment the rule