The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-06-12
DISCOVER A DEFECT.
Democratic Editors Assail the New
Election Law.
Prom the Baltimore News of June 5.

At its recent meeting at Centreville the
MARYLAND Democratic Editors Association
appointed committee to prepare articles on
the management of State affairs under the Re-
publican administration for use in this year 5
campaign. This committee is composed of
Messrs. Francis NJ. Cox, of the Port Tobacco
Times; W. w. Busteed, of the Centreville
Observer; Albert j. Almoney of the Rockville
Advocate Charles Fl. Yanderford, of the
Westminster Advocate, and Winder Laird
Henry, of the Cambridge Chronicle. Two
of these, Messrs. Cox and Almoney, are
recognized newspaper spokesmen of Senator
German, and Mr.. Henry is closely allied with
the German element. Messrs. Busteed and
Vanderford have, at times, shown symptoms
of independence.
THE FIRST THUNDER.
Tne first instalment of thunder" emanat-
ing from this committee appears in many of
the Democratic county papers published on
Thursday and today. 1t was placed in type
in the offices of some while others used the
''plate" matter furnished by the committee.
The article is headed ga Sham Reform
and is an attack of several thousand words on
the new election law. The headlines set forth
that the law is "a deliberate scheme TO restore
and maintain supervision and control OF the
illiterate colored voters;' that ''the oath of
the ballot clerk is steathily suppressed" 1.-The
seopet ballot theory of the Australian system
cunnngly perverted, and the illiterate colored
voters subjected to the strictest surveillance
ofRepubican partisans;" that the law ''evades
its own pretended provisions for the protection
of the minority party during the first two years
of its operation" and ''is "A measure OF parti-
san iniquity little short of the odious force
bill. !"
THREE All FGATIONs.
The points in the article are, in brief:
First, that the law omits the oath required by
the former law to be taken by the ballot clerks
by which they swore that they would not dis
close how any voter assisted by them marked
his ballot. Second, that this omission was
brought about by Mr.. Rose for the purpose
of enabling Republican election officials to
make public how illiterate colored voters cast
their ballots. Third, that such omission Is of
great importance and will do great harm to
the cause of fair elections.
WHAT MR.. ROSE SAYS.
Mr. Rose said today: at is true that such
oath is omitted. have never had my atten-
ton directed until yesterday, when | saw the
article in one of the papers, to the fact that
there was no provision in the law which re-
auired the clerks of election to keep secret in
formation as to how voters assisted by them
voted. / had absolutely nothing to do with
such omission"
MR.. ROSES SUGGESTION.
81 was not a member of the committee that
prepared the law. although | was from time
to time consulted by its members. Mr..
Amber tells me that the only reason a pun
ishment was not put upon the offense was that
the particular point did net occur to any
member of the committee. The suggestion
which | urged most vigorously upon this com
mittee was one which they did not see tit 20
adopt. 1t was that the election officers in
future should be equally divided between the
two political parties. After the election had
resulted in the choice OF Republican Cover
nor and Republican House of Delegates, l
again very vigorously renewed my suggestion
that the election officers should be divided
equally between the two political parties, and
this suggestion, which had been steadily mega
tived during the Democratic control of the
State because 1t was felt by the committees of
the Reform League charged with the matter
that such a provision TODD no chance OF
adoption in a Democratic Legislature, was
now agreed to, and another committee was
appointed to redraft the law and make in it
such necessary changes as the adoption of the
new idea required, and to add also any features
to it which the experience of the campaign
and the election which had just closed sug-
gested.
MR.. REYNOLDS WORK.
"This committee consisted of Mr.. Joseph
Packard, Jr., Mr.. Charles j. Bonaparte, Mr..
Roger w. Gull, Mr.. James NJ. Amber and
myself / was unable to attend more than
one or two meetings of this committee, and
after we had decided on the general scheme
of the amendments which were desired made
in the earlier draft of Mr.. Ambler's commit
tee, we employed Mr.. William Reynolds, pro
fessioually, to put the law in proper shape for
presentation to the Legislature. Mr.. Rey-
nolds performed this work very satisfactorily,
and the bill was ready for presentation and
was presented to the Legislature on the first
day of the session. 1t was there referred to a
very able committee, of which Senator Croth-
ers of Cecil was member, and was very fully
considered by that committee in detail.
Neither to that committee nor to an one OF
the committees of the Reform League did the
omission about which so much is said in the
articles in question occur.
''The omission of such a provision is a
defect, but in my judgment it is defect of
very little practical Importance.