Catoctin clarion., 1896-08-27
Judge McSherry's Charge to the
Grand Jury.

Frederick county, convened at the Courl
Itotse. in Frederick on Monday the 18th
INST with Chief Judge James McSherry and
Associate Judge John A. Lynch OH the bench.
J ,dge McSherry delivered an eloquent
charge to the grand jury, and then dismissed
the petit jury until Monday, August 81.
Judge McSherry in his charge to the grand
jury said:
There have been several amendments
made to the penal code by the Legislature OF
1895, the most important of which it may be
we'll to refer to briefly BY chapter rs 1t is
made penal ofFense for a man, withoutjus
cause, to desert or willfully to neglect to pro.
vide for the support and maintenance of his
wife or minor child. BY chapter 147 all pro-
prietors or owners of any retail, jobbng or
wholesale drygoods store, notions, millinery
or other business where any female help are
employed, shall provide chair or stool for
each one of such female help or clerks, so
that they may rest when not engaged IN max
ing sales. By chapter 996 blackmailing, eth
er by writing or verbally, is punished with
severe penalties. Chapter 497 provides that
whoever wiltuly places or causes to be
placed in or upon any evenuc, street, alley,
road, highway or public way any tack, nail,
piece of iron, broken glaas or other sub
stance which may injure, cut or puncture
any pneumatic tire shall I've guilty Of mis-
dcmeanor, to be tried before a justice OF the
peace, and shall be fined not more than $50
nor less than $5, to be paid into the road or
street fund of the county or municipal cor
poration in which the fine may be collected.
"But among all the acts Of Assembly
passed by the Legislature of 1896 perhaps
the most important is the new election law,
and it is the most important because it deals
with subject that lies at the foundation Of
popular government This statute is de-
signed to throw additional safeguards around
the elective fraGchlse and by carefully drawn
details to guarantee fair and honest elections.
It's provisions are numerous. 1t may not,
however, be amss at this time to inyitc your
attention to one of them. In our govern
ment the people are the source of all power.
Through the elective franchise they give ex.
preston to their preferences, not only as to
the candidates who seek some office at their
hands, but far beyond that; they settle by
the ballot grave political and economic ques.
tions which may be necessary to or injuri-
ously affect the welfare Of the whole COM
muni,y, just as these questions are rightly or
wrongly determined.
ut Is consequently one of the highest du-
ments of the State government to enforce
rigidly the statutes enacted by the legislative
department for the preservation of the abso.
lutte freedom of the elective franchise, and
upon the courage and fidelity of the grand
juries rests the weighty obligation to bring,
when occasion requires it, formal accusations
against those who violate these enactments
"Recognizing the vital necessity of protec.
ting the absolute freedom of the voter a.
gainst every sinister and improper influence,
from whatever quarter it may come, the
Legislature of 1895, by section SO of chapter
202, enacted: If at any election hereafter
held in any city or county any person shall,
by force, threat. menace, intimidation, brlb-
cry or reward, or offer or promise thereof. or
otherwise unlawfully, either directly or in
directly influence, or attempt to influence,
any voter in giving his vote. or prevent or
hinder, or attempt to prevent or hinder, any
qualified vote from freely exercising the
right of suffrage or by any such means in
duce or attempt to induce, any such voter to
exercise any such right, every such person
shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished
by Imprisonment in Jail or in the peniten-
tiary for not less than six months nor more
than FIVE years.
"Thls Is the literal transcript Of section 55
of article 33 Of the code except as to the pun
ishment. Under the code fine and I'm
prisonment in Jail were imposed, while under
the act of 1896 the fine is omitted, but the
imprisonment may be in the penitentlary or
the jail.
"The terms of this statute are broad and
sweeping. They cover, and were intended
to cover, every case that can possibly arise,
CA9ToRIA.
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