Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-03
Notes Of Preparation for Tomorrow's
Political Fight.
GRAVE DISPUTE In BALTIMORE.
A Careful Review Of the Situation
in Virginia.
THE TAR HEELS AND BUCKEYES.
4 RIOT NARROWLY AvERTED.
Pacific Termination Of Serious Dispute
I'm Baltimore.

Special Dispatch to The EvExISo stan.
BALTIMORE, Nov. 3-The democrats have
been suddenly thrown into an advanced state
Of ferment over what seems to be a conflict
between the Australian ballot law and the
United States Revised Statutes. At one time 1,
looked as il the radical differences Of opinion
upon the construction Of the law would lead to
very serious consequences tomorrow and pre-
cipitate an open conflict between the federal
and state authorities. Happily all danger has
been averted, and the indications now are that
the election will progress atisfactorily.
The trouble grew out of joint instructions
given to the state and federal election officials
by Messrs. William s. Bryan, jr., and Peter j.
Campbell, counsel to the democratic board OF
supervisors OF elections and George Morris
Bond, the chief supervisor of elections, and
United States Marshal William F. Airey These
instructions gave to the federal supervisors the
right to inspect the ballot OF the illterate voter
and to go with him to the polling booth and
SEQ the ballot clerk mark the ballot. They
we're based on section 2Ol7 OF the United States
Revised Statutes which says that the supervis-
ors shall personally inspect and scrutinize
from time to time and at all times on the
day of election the manner in which the voting
Is DONE" 1t was not until q day after these in
structions were issued that the democratic
managers became advised Of the action which
had been taken and to say they
were mad would be to put it mildly
Chairman Compton of the democratic state
central committee Immediately issued
instructions to the judges and clerks Of cleo
ton which he bad no right to do, denying that
the Revised Statutes gave to the supervisors
the right to inspect the ballot Of the iliterate
voter and calling upon them to resist any such
attempts. and TO have the supervisor arrested
and to throw out all such ballots. The demo-
cratic leaders were hastily summoned for a
conference at headquarters and some things
were said there that would not look very we'll
IN print. Messrs Bryan and Campbell are of
course democrats and the party managers say
they were made the victims Of piece Of sharp
practice on the part of the United States mar
shall and chief supervisor. This, however, ia
not correct as they both acted upon what they
believed to be proper Interpretation Of the
Revised Statutes. In their instructions TO the
judges, which were without consulting the sew
eral authorities, they interpreted the law the
same way. The democratic leaders claimed
that should the federal supervisors be allowed
to scrutinize the ballots of ilEterates the Sc
crecy Of the ballot, which is the essential
feature Of the Australian system, would be de-
stroyed. While the ballot clerks, who are
instructed by law to mark the ballot Of the
iliterate voter, are sworn to secrecy there is no
oath for the federal supervisor.
CHAIRMAN COMPTON SUSTAINED.
Chairman Compton obtained opinions from
State Senator John P. Poe, ex-Judge William
mis- view Of the case that the right to inspect
the ballots Is not vested in the supervisors.
Attorney General Whyte has given an opinion
to the democratic board Of supervisors Of cleo
ton and Mr.. Bernard Carter has given his
opinion to the board Of police commissioners
taking the same ground.
Mr.. Bond, the chief of the federal supervi-
sors, refused to recede from his position that
the ballots could be inspected on the ground
that under the Australian ballot law as passed
by the legislature the chief source Of fraud was
In the right given the ballot clerk to mark bal
lots for those unable to mark them themselves
and that 1t was the duty of the federal SUPER
visors to see that every voter had his ticket
marked as he desired. Mr.. Bond afterward
wrote an agreement, however, that he would
not press the point at this election but would
leave 1t to judicial settlement for the next Con-
gressional election
GRAVE CONFLICT AvERTED.
The general impression among democratic
lawyers and laymen is, Of course, that Messrs.
Bryan and Campbell erred in their instruc-
tions. Had they been sustained by the opinion
Of Attorney General Whyte and Mr.. Carter no
one can tell what the consequences would have
been. II the federal supervisors acting under
them had attempted to scrutinize the ballot of
an illiterate voter the judges of election acting
under the instructions Of the state central
committee would certainly have ordered their
shals, at the request of the supervisors, would
have arrested all the state election officials
That would have brought the entire election
machinery to standstill, a. there would have
been nobody left to run it. The state election
judges and clerks would have been taken to
the United States marshals office and the
federal officials to the police station. The in
evitable consequence Of such a state Of affairs
would have been riots and bloodshed all over
the city.
PREACHER CANDIDATE.
A new departure in political campaigning
has been put into operation in Baltimore by
Rev. DIR. Royal H. Pullman, the republican
opponent Of Congressman Rusk in the third
district. DIR. Pullman is a Universalist preacher
and q brother of George Pullman, the inventor
Of the Pullman palace car. He is one of the
ablest pulpit orators in Baltimore and in his
campaign he has developed into an excellent
public speaker. He is humorous, eloquent
and strong. He says his purpose is to elevate
and purify politics and that he will denounce
those who degrade it, Lao matter how many
votes he loses by il. He is making one of the
most interesting canvasses ever made in Balti-
more, and II there were any possibility Of his
election he would make q unique figure in Con-
gress. His striking and often taking express
sions have attracted very general attention.
Here are some of 'them:
Il believe that politics is but religion in har-
ness, and when go into politics am but put
ting harness on my religion"
The people are beginning to wake up to the
danger Of leaving politics in the hands of un-
principled men,"
"A political defeat with honor unsullied is
really victory gained"
40 lose an election is loss indeed, but to
gain an election at the expense of honor and
self-respect Ii loss infinitely greater, loss
which turns victory into defeat utterly debas-
ing"
Far better the ascendancy Of an opposing
party than that We ourselves capitulate to the
Prince OF Darkness and his brood Of grinning
devils"
Il cry out az an American citizen to both
parties beware OF forging such chains bind
you hand and foot to customs a thousan dfold
more Ubiquitous and destructive than the doc
trines Of any party platform"
THE MAINLAND TARIFF Reform CLUB
is an organization Of recent growth, composed
mostly Of young men and largely of those who
have been most active in the independent
movements. Its members expect it to play an
important part in Maryland politics and claim
that its influence is already becoming effective
The most striking thing about it is the palpable
4 haa AZ Tal