Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-05-02
THE PLOT IN MARYLAND.
Disfrnnchising HiiterateAa Scheme
of Democrats to Regain
Lost Ground.

An increasing number of democrat
ic conspiracies are on foot to carry
elections by tampering with the bal
lot. The new disfranchising law in
Maryland was conceived and passed
in the interest of the democratic par
ty. When questioned concerning 1t
Mr.. German enlarges on the subject OF
illiteracy. He ignores entirely the
real purpose of the law, which is to
secure his own return to the United
States senate. Mr.. German was re-
tired from the senate two years ago
and is not enjoying his release from
the official "courtesies" in the prac-
tical utilization of which he has had
few equals. He spent ii years in the
senate as one of its subordinate Off
cials, beginning as page. He was a
member of the senate from Maryland
for three full terms, ending March B.,
1899. Mr.. Germans senatorial expert
ence covers 80 years, and it is admitted
that no man living is more deeply
versed in the usages and peculiarities
of that body. He is particularly keen
IL handling whatever personal suscep-
tibilities can be found in coordin-
ate branch of the government consist
ing of 80 men.
The country has run along and pros
pered without Mr.. German in the SEN
ate. German is not necessary to the
senate, but he feels that the senate is
necessary to German. SO he has pro-
cured the passage in Maryland of a
law disfranchising illiterate voters,
the most of whom are colored men and
republicans. If the case had been
otherwise Mr.. German, of course,
would have left the question of litter
acy severely alone. 1t is estimated
that Maryland has $4,000 black Hitter
ates, nearly all republicans, and $4,000
white illiterates, two-thirds of whom
are democrats. These figures give a
net republican loss of 10000 votes.
Mr.. German and his friends believe
that this reduction in the republican
vote will insure the election of a
democratic legislature next November
and restore him to the Legislative
body with which he is. in certain
sense, so profoundly familiar. Wheth-
er Mr.. German can devise some cleo
| toral bypath. some ancestral condi-
tion by which the $4,000 white illit-
crates may be spared, is a point as yet
unsettled.
In the year 1895 perfectly fair cleo
tion law was passed in Maryland. IT
was drawn up by the Reform League,
an organizatio of able and patriotic
citizens belonging to different parties
A republican Legislature and a repub-
| lican governor made it statute. Since
it went into force five general elec.
tions have occurred in Maryland, OF
which four were won by the republic
ans. All were absolutely fair. Last
year Mckinley carried the state for
| the second time and all six of the re-
| publican candidates for congress
were elected. The republican plural
| ity on president was $4,000. Mr.. Cor
mans disfranchising act, if all goes on
as he anticipates, gives his party a
margin of 5000 votes. While the cal.
culation is close, Mr.. German is con.
! fdent that he now holds the winning
cards. His eloquence on the subject OF
| illiteracy is merely incidental. He has
embarked in the growing business o1
making the ballot secondary to the
eXigencies of the democratic party anC
its individualities of the Gormar
stamp.-St. Louis Globe Democrat.