The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-07-09
WHAT REFORM : COSTS.
PRESS OPINIONS on TIE DEMOCRATIC
| EDITORS ASSOCIATION ARTICLE ON
THE COST OF TIE NEW REGISTRA-
TIoN AND ELECTION LAW.

| THE COST OF TIE NEW REGIsTRA-
TIoN AND ELECTION LAW.
WICOMICO NEWS.
/ The reform (2) administration which has
controlled affairs in this State for nearly
two years has proven costly expert
mcnt to taxpayers, and has signally fail
, ed to produce the great reforms promised.
! Usually there is but little disposition
manifested on the part of taxpayer to
complain of the cost of reform measures
when the ends sought are attained; but
when there is failure to attain these
ends, coupled with largely increased cost,
there are just grounds for complaint.
| Such is the condition Of affairs that now
| confronts the taxpayers of Maryland.
| They have been subjected to greatly in
| creased expenditures by reason of a new
| election law which has utterly failed to
accomplish the purpose for which it is
enacted, viz: to secure pure ballot and
secret ballot. Instead the very essence
of the principle of the Australian ballot
system was omitted and the door opened
wide for corruption. Complaints are
general throughout the State on account
of the eXtravagant expenditures made
necessary by the new registration and
election law. The increased cost over the
law enacted by the Democrats foots up
more than one hundred thousand dollars
for the entire State. which the taxpayers
have had to pay for this reform (0
SNOW HILL MESSENGER.
Under the guse of providing for Il fair
registration and pure ballot, the Re-
publican party has left loop-holes in the
act of 1896 for committing frauds and
intimdatng voters. This law has al
ready cost the State, when the taxpayers
were least able to bear the burden, over
one hundred thousand dollars, and
Worcester county taxpayers had to pay
fourteen hundred and eight dollars and
thirty-seven cents in excess of what the
election cost in this county in 1895 under
Democratic administration of affairs, just
for the privilege of giving the Republi-
cans an opportunity to intimidatc the
colored voters and keep them in line.
This is the way the Republicans do things
when given chance. They cry economy.
economy when the Democrats are i'll con-
troll, but when they get hold they let loose
the purse strings, for they are not the
taxpayers and they don't care how the
money goes.
EASTON LEDGER.
The Republicans were wonderfully
surprised when it was demonstrated by
the Democratic press few weeks ago
that in the Republican reform election
law passed in 1896 the provision for swear
ing in those most important officers, the
the ballot clerks, was omitted. 1t was
in the election law passed by preceding
Democratic Legislature. 1t was omitted
through an inadvertence, explain the Re-
publicans. Not SO. 1t is in proof that it
was done advertently and designedly;
and that it accomplished its purpose at
the succeeding election. There never
was any necessity for the Australian
system of voting in Maryland. We can
teach Australia. We do not need to go
to that commonwealth of a monarchy for
a voting system. Many good old Demo-
Gratis resented these reform" innova-
tons by declining to register over again
when they had been registered many
years and had voted time and again under
that registration. The Republicans cal
culated on this All of them registered;
possibly some of the negroes more than
once. Republican sheriffs emptied the
jails of negro prisoners and had them
registered Here was reform registra-
ton. The negroes who did not come of
their own accord were appealed to; if
appeals were ineffective they were
threatened; if they did not scare, they
were bought outright. And so they
were all registered, even to the jail birds.
And then voted, by the oathless Republi-
can ballot clerks!
WESTMINSTER ADVOCATE.
There is not voter of intelligence in
any county in the State who will say that
a new registration was necessary in the
counties. There is not one who will say
that there was any necessity for a change
in the election law. There is not one
who will say the election of 1896 was
any faircr than that of 1895 or of 1894.
This being true, what excuse has the
Republican party to give for subjecting
the people to an expense of about 800,
600, in addition to the Inconvenience
they were put to i'll rc-registering! Add
to this the loss of time and expense in
going to and from the places of rcgistra-
ton, and more than 100000 additional
cost was caused by this unnecessary
registration.
Nothing but il prrtisan advantage
prompted the chang in registration and
election laws. First, in registration, be-
cause the colored vote was sure to regis
lister to man, while was objection upon
the part Of many Democrats, especially the
older ones to regist ring. Secondly, by
leaving out the oath of secrecy the litter
ate co.ored vote was placed under control
of Republican, election officials.
To secure this advantage the Rcpubli
can party subjected the people to cost
d. Dr.