The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1901-07-13
The Sentinel and the Census

The Sentinel and the Census.
In an editorial on the State census our es
teemed neighbor, the Sentinel, argued, or
rather stated that the enumeration was useless,
as the revised Federal returns from several
counties in Southern Maryland could have
been used by Governor Smith in declaring
the number of members to which each county
would be entitled in the House OF Delegates;
and further that the cost OF the new census
was waste of money. Of course It was
waste of money in Republican eyes for the
Democrats to spend money to expose Repub
lican rsscaIity which was conceived by Re
nublican leaders and executed by their tools,
the census enumerators. We expect every
Republican paper aud politician IN the State
to harp upon the unnecessary expense OF
State enumeration, but they will all be at
tended to in time They will not be allowed
to dodge the rascality of the Federal Census,
and they will be made to answer to other IN
dictments.
The Sentinel closes its comments by stating
that the net results of the State enumeration TO
the Democrats was the loss ofone Democratic
representative in the House of Delegates
meaning loss of one in Kent county, where
the Federal census showed 999 more popula'
ton than the State enumerators could hnd.
The ADVOCATE repudates the rnsiitiatioh llat
Democratic advantage was the object ut the
extra session of the General Assembly. Its
purpose was TO prevent Republican ifana IN
Charles, ST. Mary's aud Anne Arundel coun-
ties, and anywhere else it might be discovered.
While some of the Democratic papers chal--
lenged the accuracy OF the Federal Census,
the Census Bureau took no notice of the mat
ter until Gov Smith issued a call for an extra
session of the General Assembly II wopId
not have done so had not the Chief Executive
spoken of the Federal Census in his call tor the
extra session. Therefore there would have
been no revision Of the Federal Census, aud
the design of the padded lists would have
stood with the result of an unfair representa-
ton in the House of Delegates ani an unfair
distribution of school funds.
As to the allegation by the Sentinel that
Kent county is Democratic county and The
Democrats would lose member of the House
of Delegates as the net result OF The State
Census we simply slate that Kent county IN
1895 elected Republican State Senator,
States Attorney and other nominees on their
ticket In 1899 they swept the county, elect
ing Senator and members of the House OF
Delegates, sheriff, treasurer, county COMMITS
soners, orphans courI judges and States al
torney In 1900 the county gave $50 majori-
ty for Mckinley. For six years the Republl-
cans have carried the county, except In 1897,
when the Democrats won by very small plu
ralities. The county is close one, with
tendency TO the Republican party, and is far
more liable TO go Republican than Democ al
ic. At best it can but be classed as doubt
full, with the probability of going Republican
IF the Republicans had not considered it a
safe Republican county, the census lists would
not have been padded with 800 names ofpersons
who could not be found by the State enumera-
tors. A discrepancy of several hundred would
not have aroused suspicion, but a difference OF
999 leads to the belief that there was as delib-
crate fraud there as there was in Charles, st.
Mary's and Anne Arundel.
The net result of the extra session of the
Legislation so far has been correct enumer
alton of the population, near as can be got
ten, fair representation in the House of Dele
gates. and fair distribution of school funds. 1t
is expected that the change in the election
law will prevent residents of the State
living in Washington voting in Maryland. 1t
is expected. also, that the change in the form
ofthe ballot will prevent illiterate negroes
from the South voting here, on the one hand,
and will be an incentive to people to learn to
read, on the other.
The Sentinel is too narrow TO see anything
but extreme partisanship and party advantage
in any act of the Democratic party, and has
too limited knowledge TO state facts in rela
ton to many matters it undertakes to discuss.
Everybody will remember its blunder in crit
icsing certain Democrats, holding State and
city positions, for taking seats in The Legisla
ture at the extra session, and called npon the
States attorneys of Baltimore county and
ton of the grand jnries. Ii did not know that
two Republican Senators held Federal posi-
tons, and after it discovered this fac il had
nothing more to say about ''oficial PERJURY
1t may some day learn which counties are
Democratic and which are Republican, and
realize that it is proper to have an equal and
fair representation in the House of Delegates
and fair and equal distribution of the school
funds, even if it costs something TO secure
them. Il may realize that had not Governor
Smith said officially that the Federal cen
sus was regarded as Inaccurate, and made the
necessity for a State enumeration one of the
reasons for calling extra session of the
Legislature, no Federal revision would have
been made II will not see these facts this
year-certainly not until after the election; or
at least, no acknowledgment of them will APP
pear in the columns Of that journal.