The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-01-02
Meeting of the Legislature

The Maryland Legislature will meet on
Wednesday next, and will sit for ninety
days-until April 9th.
The most important matters Of legisla-
ton arc
The perfection of the election law and
its extension to the counties now excepted
from its operation
A primary election law;
\ law for the better protection and pro-
motion of the oyster industry;
Laws to make effective the several re-
Gently adopted amendments to the consti-
tuaion;
An assessment law;
And the disposition Of the S3T1 900 Of
direct taxes to be refunded by the general
government,
In connection with the election law
ought to be considered the matter Of COM
pulsory voting. While the Australian
system tends to reduce bribery Of voters,
it is not an effective bar to it, for there is
still the opportunity to pay voters to stay
away from the polls.
1t is not necessary to speak Of the evil
of money in elections. 1t is admitted by
all. Nor is there use to discuss laws
against bribery. They are openly viola
tee, and all parties are equally guilty.
Those who engage in it condemn the prac-
ticc as not only degrading but expensive,
and only justify their conduct on the
ground that party interest demands it ;
that the purchasable vote is so large that
if it all goes one way it may turn the scale,
and that it is necessary to buy to hold
their own. This purchasable vote is year
ly increasing, and many voters who intend
standing by their party tickets take occa-
sion, however, to make pull on the can
didates or party leaders. And the price is
increasing. Those who ask money are not
modest in their demands Dollar bills are
not so potent as they were, and the prices
now asked run as high as fiften and TWEEN
ty dollars
Grand juries cannot take cognizance Of
the offense of bribery. The practice is SO
widespread and been so long INDUCED in
without legal interference there seems to
be Il common sentiment against prosecution.
If voters were compelled to vote, under
penalty of disfranchisement for period of
five years, except in case of sickness or
enforced absence, they could not be pur-
chased to stay at home, and few persons
would pay for votes unless they could see
the ballots deposited
If some way to suppress the use of
money at elections is not discovered, it
will not be long before elections will be
mere contests of dollars.
And an effective primary election law is
a necessity also. Party fcalty cannot be
demanded if primaries are not fair and
nominations do not truly represent the
wishes of the majority. The use of money
in primaries is growing evil, and the
sooner they are hedged about with safe
guards against evil practices the better it
will be for party organizations and the
public morals.
The disposition Of the refunded direct
tax should be decided promptly. There is
but one proper way, in our judgment, and
that is to apply it to the payment Of the
state debt. The longer it is left undis-
posed of, the greater will be the number of
schemes to get hold of it. The Worlds
fair promoters are now hot-iooted after
100000 or more of it, and there will be
a score of propositions for its disposition of
the matter is not speedily settled. The re-
tirement of S37l 900 of the state debt will
reduce the annual charge upon the tax
payers, and will be Il step toward tax re-
duction.