The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-12-08
should There Be Another Census 2

should There Be Another Census ?
There is much complaint throughout Mary
land, except in a few counties, upon the cen
sus as given out by the Census Bureau, wash
ington. The populations If Queen Annes,
Cecil and Hartford counties, according to the
figures. have decreased since 1890, and the
populations of Anne Arundel, Charles, Kent,
Montgomery, Prince Georges, st. Mary's
and Washington counties have so increased
MS to entitle each to an additional member oil
the House of Delegates. 1t may be only
coincident, or it may not, that all of these
counties, with the exception OF Montgomery,
are Republican, and four of them in Sidney
Mudd's congressional district.
The population of Hartford county has de-
clined to 1869, a shrinkage since 1871 oil
629. The Hartford Democrat shows that, on
the registered vote of the county, and count
ing one vote to At of population, the census
ought to have shown population of $1,000.
The population of Carroll is announced TO
be 33, $50. The registered vote of Carroll is
s,155, and both political parties have always
been active in purging the lists of dead and
removed voters and were particularly so this
fall On the ratio of one voter 10 every AZ OF
population, an accepted ratio, the population
of Carroll is Al, 1877, and according TO the
Constitution Carroll is entitled to an addi-
tional member of the House of Delegates.
AT the late election 1898 votes were cast, aud
if we apply the recognized ratio of voters to
population, the population would be 1881.
II is manifest then, that the census figures for
Carroll are far from correct. 1t is wrong by
about 1000, according to the vote cast, and
wrong by over 300 upon the registered vote.
Section 4, of Article 8, of the Constitution
says;
Soc A AS soon as may be after the taking and
publishing of the National Census, or fter the
enumeration of the population oil TINS State, I'M
der the Authority thereof there shall be nn appor
tionment of representation in the House OF Dele
yates to be made on the following basis. to vii:
Each of the several counties oil tne Su.ae' naVig ~
population of eighteen thousand soul o. less shall
Be entitled two Delegates; and every county nav.
ing population of over eighteen thousand, anu
less than twentyeight thousand souls, shall be Gu
titled to three Delegates; and every county having
n population of twenty-eight Thousand, and less
than forty thousand souls, shall be entitled 10 iour
delegates: and every county, having population
of forty thousand and less than hfty'hv thonsdnu
souls shall be entitled to five Deiesates; ano every
county having population OF hity-nve tnoustnu
souls and upwards, shall be entitled To SIX Dele
gates. and no more; and each of the three Legisa-
tive Districts of the City of Baltimore shall be en-
titled 10 the number of Delegates TO which the
largest county SHALL or may be entitled, under the
aforegoing apporuonment.
Section s. of the same Article says
Sec s. Immediately after the taking and publish-
ing the next National Census or after State emu
meration of population Aforesaid 1t shall be the
duty of the Governor, then being. to arrange the
Representation in said House of Delegates i'll nc
eordance with the apportionment herein provided
for and to declare by Proclamation, the number Of
Delegates, to which ca. b County, ana Inc olty OF
ment: and after every National Census thereafter,
or after any State enumeration OF population. there
after made it shall be the duty OF the Governor Tor
the time being to make similar adjustment of Rep
resentation and TO declare the same by Froclama-
ton, as Aforesaid.
1t will be observed that the Governor must,
Immediately after the taking and publishing
of a national census, issue a proclamation an
nouncing the number of delegates to which
each county and the city of Baltimore are
entitled Under this provision of the Consti-
tuition Governor Smith will have to accept the
federal census figures. But sections and
both refer to a state enumeration, which may
be made by authority of the state, and should
such enumeration of population be made, the
Governor must by proclamation announce the
number of Delegates to which each county
and the city of Baltimore is entitled under
such enumeration. In view Of this it is u
matter 10 be considered whether or not the
next General Assembly of Maryland should
provide for a state enumeration of the inhab-
itants.
1t is little singular that Charles county,
with no large towns and no manufactures,
should increase in population from 1890 to
1900 S,125, and St. Mary's should increase
2.s17, under like conditions, while Cecil loses
1889 and Hartford 629, both counties having
numerous thriving towns and villages aud
many industries.
The increase in Prince Georges is S.8ls
and in Anne Arundel nearly 5000. These
are large when the decline in the populations
of Cecil and Hartford are considered, and the
alleged facts the increase in Carroll in the
past decade has been but l ,424 and in Fred
erick but 240S. The census figures for Anne
Arundel and Prince Georges may or may not
De open 10 ODJcCilOn, Dut ceitsiiH u 10 tuat
those for Cecil, Hartford and Carroll are
Cecil east 6,063 votes at the election last
month, and this would indicate a population
of27,2S3. 1t is likely five hundred persons
in the county entitled to vote did not do so.
and the population is far above $4,000, and
the county is entitled to another member of
the House of Delegates.
The increase in the representation in the
counties of Anne Arundel, Prince Georges.
Charles and ST. Mary's is unfair to the rest
of the state, particularly to the counties having
large white populations and large agricultural
and business interests A majority of the in
habtants of Charles county are Negroes. The
colored registered vote there in 1899 was 2
067, 1913 greater thansthe registed white vote.
The registered colored vote of Anne Arundel
last year was 1924, of Prince Georges 1864
and of st. Mary's 1917. These counties are
under Republican rule, and in the House OF
Delegates they will hereafter have fifteen
members. In all these four counties the white
Republicans do not number over 2, 800 and
the white Republicans control legislative nom
nations, and these in turn are bossed by Sid
ney Mudd, The white registered vote OF
Cecil, Hartford aud Carroll counties is 20, 1856,
the House of Delegates against Is for the IA,
OILS registered white voters Of Anne Arundel,
Prince Georges, Charles and ST. Mary's.
There are some eolored voters in Carroll,
Hartford and Cecil. but Anne Arundel alone