The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-04-14

Jul tulS, COtUUlucu Win thO oShSA
safeguards of the Tilden law, made
fraud almost impossible 80 far as the
reception and counting of the ballots
were concerned. We observe in the
of New York In the eft.
fort now being made to prevent the
purchase of votes as far as practicable.
not a single complaint was made as
to any defect in the election law
itself; everything is so secured by
that law that even when the judges
are bad or corrupt they cannot COM
NIT frauds. 1t is now that the effort
there to get the voter into the polling
room without any ballot and when
he approached the glass urn on the
voting table the ticket or tickets are
to be presented to him printed by
the state, with the names of all the
candidates on them and where he can
select his own votes, out of the pres
ence of the buyer of votes.
1t is said that the open purchase Of
votes in New York is now the great
scandal of the elections, and it is to
prevent or restrain this that all kinds
of projects are under consideration.
One of the virtues ascribed by the
Sun to the merit Of the Legislature
was the reduction in the State tax of
IT cents. The Sun knows that this
tax was Imposed to pay the interest
and the principle of the Deaf and
Dumb Asylum and Maryland Hos
pital loans, as required by the Con.
stitution and the acts creating the
debts. and that when paid these taxes
should, as matter of course, cease.
These debts are now paid and no tax
therefore could believed for any such
purpose.
What possible virtue is there in the
act that would stop the collection of
tax from the taxpayer LEVIED spe-
cifically for the payment of a certain
debt and the interest, when that debt
and interest are paid +? 1t was pub.
lie duty to stop this tax that even the
most hardened Legislator could not
we'll refuse to discharge.
In fact, by the payment of these
two debts the tax of II cts. levied to
pay them ought to have dropped. II
dropped, the State tax for the present
year would then be II cts. on the
500 instead of 1871. as that of last
year. But the Legislature, in drop
ping this tax of il cents imposed an
additional tax of J cent for Public
Schools, so that the School tax is in
creased from 10 to 1O3 cents, and the
whole State tax fixed at 1T cts.
We may take occasion perhaps to
notice in detail the conduct of this
Legislature in doing what should not
have been done and in emitting to
do what should have been done. 1t
has become self-evident that pre-
election promises avail nothing that
it is only upon men of undoubted
probity that the people can rely for
like performance of pub
lie duty. Platforms are nothing;
they are but specious words. gotten
up for the emergency and intended
to deceive and delude. They are only
to answer the purpose of getting
creatures in power and then do what
ever they please, trusting to like
tricks for a future success.
There is a great relief in the public
mind that the Legislature has adj
journed, and may the people of the
State never see the like again.
1t must be a matter of profound
regret to every good thinking man
in the State that Gov. Jackson found
1t proper to pardon the election
judges and clerks confined in Balti.
more city Jail for committing frauds
at elections
This is one of the most serious Of
lenses against public law AMI order
that can be committed, and no pun.
ishment inflicted could hardly be too
severe.
President Cleveland. in exercising
the pardoning power in many cases
always carefully distinguished this
class from other cases. He peremp-
torilv declined to pardon a person
guilty of this offense. and thought it
sufficiently important to give his
reasons for it.
One of the reasons given for the
Governors action was that there was
no protest against it. 1t is said that
the Reform League did not even pro-
test.
This was an offense against the
people of the State. and the Governor
as an individual, had as much right
to protest as any other one but
specially as Governor was it his duty
to see 10 it that so grave an offense
against the body of the whole State