New-York tribune., 1889-12-23
THE MARYLAND FRAUDS.
MYSTERIES OF THE LAST ELECTION TO BE
EXPOSED.
INDEPENDENTS URGING NEW BILL-EFFoRTs
TO BRING THE GUILTY REGISTERS
TO JUSTICE.


Baltimore. Dec. % (specaD.-Thc Ballot Reform
League Of Maryland, which the last four years mas
done much TO prevent election frauds in this city, ana
has brought number of the offenders to Justice -
preparing 10 make another fight the Leglsia-
ture for better election and regstration law Iho
Plan for voting decided upon by the Committee oh
Legislation is something like the Australian system
provides that the tickets the Democratic names DC
iu column, Republican in another, Prohibition In a
third, the fourth to be for the Independent
ticket. 1t will be like four election tickets printed
side by side, and to lessen the necessity OF teiaVe
calling upon the judges to show them their tickets "
Is proposed TO print small symbol upon the heo
of each ticket, beside which the voter would place MS
mark to designate that he wished to vote that ticket
The symbols might be a square for the Democrau'
party, circle for the Republican triangle fol Prohlb
ton, and This would minimize the boss ana
secure secrecy. After the Australian feature mas
been completed there will be added provisions govern
ing canvassing boards and other matters. The bill Is
expected to be ready in pamphlet form by the tine Oh
meeting Of the Legislature. Lawyer John G. kose'
counsel for the league, has kept record of the names
stricken off the poboOks by the Democratic registers.
He says:
We find, of 5,O12 persons stricken of without
transfers, 3.074 stricken Oft in the q precincts
carried by Harrison in 1855, an average oi ol 10
precinct, while 4O35 we're stricken OFF in III pre-
cincs, an average Of but 80 to a precinct. The aver
age number was therefore, 81 per cent greater m
Republican than in Democratic precincts. Tie
udicrous ncapacity Of the officers OF registration 10
deal with questions was frequently illustrated
city empoye Of the Twentieth Ward appeared before
register with a list of cOlOred men he wanted
stricken of. The register did not know him ana
he got two citizens TO that they would believe
him on oath The register then struck of the col0reu
men without asking him how he knew that they were
disqualified.
O. am convinced that half Of the vote cast al
the election in the first precinct of the Nint
Ward is absolutely fraudulent In 1854, the Pres
dental election there were 27I votes pOlled there
Since then the contests have been getting hotter ana
the number of votes has been steadily increasing ul
til at the municipal election last month the total
vote returned 414. 1t Is unnecessary 10 say lhde
the population OF the precinct mas not AT all Hcedou
since 1854.
great deal Of the information obtained cannot
now be disclosed because IT would defeat the punish
ment OF the guilty. may be stated that the cleo
serious Of complaint ~ that Of 1o1o Ihcrc
repeating in 1883. but this year there was
a great deal more OF il. Complaints as 10 Tie COLI
duct of the police general.
There were this year stricken OF and transferrd
90 500 persons Yet I'm forty more of the l95
precincts there was practically no attempt at re-
vision. II is perfectly safe TO say that If every voter
who had become disqualified had been stricken OH,
the total would have reached 10000, or One-thrd m
the total registered vote No sci of registers have ma
chinery sufficient to separate the third who are dead
who have moved from the twothirds who have
not"
John X. Cowen and the iother leading men in the
Reform League more determined than ever 10 con
tnuc the fight against the ring and in the interest
ballot reform.