The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-07-10
PRESS OPINIONS.
Cost of Registration and Election
Law.
Over 800, 900 Uselessly Spent.
Prince Georges inquirer

A tabulated statement prepared under
the auspices of the Democratic Editors
Association shows the comparative cost of
an election under the old law and the new.
All the counties show great increase; in
some the cost last year was almost double
what it was the previous year. Notwith
standing this costly and cumbersome
machinery, the operation of the new reg
istration and election law has failed to
give satisfaction. 1t had the effect in
this county and in others of disfranchising
voters of both parties, and showed that,
should an effort be made by the dominant
party on election day, many may be denied
an opportunity to vote. Flushed with
victory, the Republicans in the last Leg
islature went in for as complete an up
heaval and change in the settled methods
of the civil administration Of state affairs,
as could be accomplished What they did
is an earnest of what they will do if con-
tinued in power.
Hartford Democrat
The abolition of the ballot clerk S oath
DESTROYS the secrecy of the ballot and sub t
iects the illiterates to the espionage of
their political bosses, and in the counties
especially, the additional expense and in
convenience of frequent and unnecessary
registration, deprives many of the white
people of the State of the elective fran
chise. One of the questions to be sub
mitted to the next Legislature will be the
correction of the gross errors, to character
ize them mildly, of this Republican meas
ure, and it is fair to assume that the peo-
pie will not commit this important work to
men or their associates who have demon
strated their incapacity TO govern wisely
and well.
Port Tobacco Times.
The increased expense is due in con-
siderable measure to the more complicated
processes and methods of the election law
devised by Mr. Rose and Mr.. Mudd for
the purpose of entrenching their party in
power; but the chief increase of expense |
results from the wholly unnecessary new
registration of voters in all the counties of
the State done solely with a view to par
tisan advantage Nobody, whose opinion
is worthy of consideration, has ever con-
tended seriously that new registration is
necessary in the counties. In the rural
districts the population is SO stationary and
permanent and everybody is so well known
to everybody else that the annual revision,
always provided for by law, has kept the
registration lists absolutely correct.
Annapolis Republican.
1t shows that the Australian system of
voting, with the cumbersome provisions
and expense, was never needed in the
counties, that, in response to demand for
it, Democratic Legislature passed fair
law embodying all necessary features to
secure fair election and protecting the
voter from espionage so that he could cast
a free and untrammeled ballot. 1t shows |
that the so-called reform element of Bal |
timore city and the Republican party when
it obtained control of the state insisted on
changes in this law; that the changes des-
troyed the secrecy of the ballot and COM
PEELED new registration of the voters of
the state at an expense to the taxpayers OF
over one hundred thousand dollars, and,
| if we estimate loss of time and incidental
expenses. the total cost to the people would |
be over quarter of a million dollars.
That there was no necessity for this new
registration in the counties is admitted by
all except few theorists and partisan Re
publicans who expected to reap some ad
vantage from it. This unnecessary ex-
pense is, therefore, properly chargeable
against the Republican party. 1t has been
an expense, needless and unjustifable
expense, forced upon the people, and one
from which they have derived no benefit.
1t is an expense which the people have
been made to bear in the hope that the
Republican party would derive a benefit
and gain an advantage. In short the peo
pie were made to bear this expense and
suffer this actual loss to subserve not pub
lie good, but party and partisan end.
Calvert Journal.
1t has been shown already in previous
article that III its vague and indefinite
wording the omission of the provision, re-
quiring the clerks to be sworn to secrecy
robs the law of the essential feature neces-
sary to a secret ballot. The grievOus
feature. however, is the increased cost to
the x-payers occasioned by the increased
number of officials, increased salaries and
additional unnecessary printing required.
The Legislature of 1896 was heralded as
a reform body and admirably succeeded in
reforming the taxes by increasing them.
In the table published in another column
will be seen the excess in election ex
penses of 1896 over 1895 of several
counties In this county the increase
amounted to about 5000, which means an
increase in tax-rate of nearly cents on
each S100 of assessed property. This may
be reform, but it is not the kind of reform
that liehtens the burdens and adds to the
prosperity of the taxpayers, who have to
pay for it.
Wicomico News.
The reform GU administration which
has controlled affairs in this State for near
ly two years has proven a costly experiment
to taxpayers, and has signally failed to
produce the great reforms promised. lus-
ally there is but little disposition mani
tested on the part of taxpayers 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 CON
dition of affairs that now confronts the tax
payers of Maryland They have been
subjected to greatly increased expenditures
by reason of 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 ex-
penditures made necessary by the new reg
istration 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 tax
payers have had to pay for this reform (?).