Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1897-06-03

The draft Of this important partisan measure
is understood TO have been the work Of Mr..
John {. Rose, Of Baltimore. who appears 90
have had for his aid and adviser Mr.. Sydney
7 Mudd. OF Charles county, who became
Speaker Of the HOUSE al Delegates Rose
might be appropriately designated the Johnny
Davenport Of Maryland, in compliment to hrs
astute. indefatiguabie and unconscionabIe par
tisanship; but he ingeniouSly hides all these ac-
complishments under the veil and gaEb of a
devout "reformer." under which hSpocriticd
disguise he has most deceitfuily imposed upon
many well meaning gentlemen in Baltimore,
known as Reform Democrats Mudd. on
the other hand, makes such pretcnsions. but
delights 20 boast Of his superior skill in max
ing partisan deals and turning political tricks.
Fully equipped by practical experience in the
actual work of corraIling and intimidating the
Negro voters and thereby maintaining Negro
domination III Southern Maryland he gaze
the points of partisan advantage TO be secured
in the election law 20 the rcsourccfui Rose,
who was depended upon to give them vitality.
The subsection of the illitera,e Negro voters
TO the unrestricted surveillance of their white
local bosses and thereby TO the severe disci-
pine OF their race and their families thus
clearly appears 10 have been the principal, pur-
pose to be accomplished by the reform" .elec.
ton law presented by the Republicans. This
being the case. q man OF more direct methods
and less hnesse and diplomatic subtIety ahan
Mr. Rose might have gone directly u; his
work by proposing amendments 10 sIe exist
ing law. striking out the oath Of the ba1lot
clerks and all penalties Bearing upon disco
asvr n 49,. a..
this would have revealed, even 90 the apprehcn-
sion OF the Reform Democrats the ungainiy
cloven foot Of the partisan welt beneath the
immaculate fleece OF the innocentireform lamb;
and Mr.. Rose is not accustomed 10 do his
work IN that bungling way. Not at all lie
therefore brought forward brand new election
law and registration law complete in all It's
parts and substituting the. entire article Of the
code bearing that important subject and
completely dispensing with the old law But
all the sections 81 this 1aw will be scanned
IN vain for any obligation on the clerks who
mark the ballots of the iIiorra:e. either by oath
or penalty. not TO disclose the information
thus acquired The stringent, oath Of the bal
lot clerk, above quoted from the act of 1890.
- conspicuous by the absence.of every vestige
OF t. while the penal part Of the law viii be
searched in vain for any penalty of disclosing
knowledge aeqrired in the election room. The
clerks who m=sk the b=ilots Of the iIlitc-ates
take only the pe-funetory oe.th 20 support the
Constitution, etc, required Of the judges and
Ihds Il IS clearly made 90 appear that by.re-
peaang the strict oath required Of the ballot
clerk and al penalties for its violation. all re
sriction Of secrecy IS removed from the o.fscers
who supervise the voting 81 the iiiitera:cs and
Nsgr 900 Of he tie
thereby subjected 20 the sgricfest surveillance
n l'3int Of TACT, proof can be adduced from the
Sosithern Maryland counties that this change
IN the law was impressed on the coiorcd voters
n ths campaign ui 100 and they were thereby
insiHidaied ard soiid;;sed a. the last election
Here We have presented 10 rs the remarkable
anomaly, the astonishing paradox. Of the g ono
iirteTafe voters OF the State. who. point %!
iacfs constitute the only element Of voting
iofnafion that are subject 70 the domination
~ a controlling influence, being subjected 20
piousfse and surveillance 4 the very influence
D. which they are dominated and belonging
exclusively 20 one poiisicai party. under coiog
q tire Australian ballot system, the essential
principle aad Office Of which = exactly the con
verse % the function il is made 20 exercise in
Siarytand elections The question arises. did
any political party u1tsids % the carpet bag
governments II the SosSheru States ever make
such a shameful abuse of It's power thisf
Was any sach En1ae1usis frzud fSsis
pracficed on sSsf respecting people by any
poiatacaA party wEthexss prompt punishment be
ING visited upon ffS The audacffy % this fraud.
IN making the very machinery designed for the
q -. a.