New-York tribune., 1901-04-15
A MARYLAND SCHEME.
LATED To DISFRANCHISE
REPUBLICANS.

Baltimore. April Il (SpeciaD.-The Republican
State leaders have discovered Democratic scheme
to disfranchse Republican voters by the new State
census enumeration as we'll as by the German
election law just enacted by the Democratic legis
lature in extra session.
When Senator McComas said that the election
law passed by the legislature very different
from that which Mr.. German wanted. he made a
statement of fact. The Democratic leader un-
doubtedly preferred law which would have given
his people complete control of the machinery.
That he did not insist upon the enactment Of
such act be attributed first. to a fear Of
public sentiment. and, second. to apprehension
that its unfairness might have been considered by
the courts in passing upon its consttutionality.
For these reasons he advocated the adoption of a
law so fair as he himself expressed it, that it
could be defended in church At the same time
however he concocting another scheme by
which he could accomplish his purpose indirectly
and in this he was aided materially by the dis
closures made by the Federal Census Bureau with
references to frauds in ST. Mary's County The
programme could have been better arranged
or mora successfully carried out. BY adroit
manoeuvring the fire of tie opposition in the leg
islature was drawn upon the election law whilc
the real snake was hidden in the census bill. This
reveat is now made by a Democratic leader
who declares that the law passed does
really dtsfranchse all illterates Here is his
planation:
would prevent all the negroes from voting without
framed this one 50 "a as to make make it possible for
iterates to vote depending upon the superior in
elligence of the whites who cannot read or write
to to give us an advantage. How can they vote?
whom We can rely among the first to enter the
booth He will carry with him a sheet of trans
ballot After careful measurement. SO to obtain
the exact dimensions. he win mark off the squares
will afterward b. placed upon piece of pas>-
Board which is to be the exact size of the ballot
and in which the Will be We will
have about half dozen of these II will be only
board upon TT the oca ballot so that ii covers s It
exactly and then mark his cross in the holes The
with him to guide him in voting, and this piece of
OF course the Republicans can do the same thing.
and If they want they can vote number of their
these are stupid that they will become confused
and make botch of the whole business. So the
If no other bill had been placed. therefore, the
extra Extra session would not have benefited M the Demo
of so much time and money. But there COM
panon measure of much greater Importance which
made up for the shortcomings in the election bill
and this the bill providing for the State
enumeration
1t was common remark among Democratic leg
isators-and it was also part of the allurement
that induced of them vote for the election
bill-that the best part OF the election bill
was the bill" Several of the provisions in
this measure will enable the Democrats TO catch in
their dragnet a large number of voters who live out
of the State.
Section % A OF the election law re-enacts the
old law of 1892 voters living out of the State
being required to return within thirty days after
the passage OF the law and make affidavit that
they intend 10 keep their residence at the place
from which they removed" and also. that they
will actually take up their residence at that place
before May l next"
The provision also applies to persons who
leave the State after the passage of the act Just
this point comes the dovetailing.
IA "
enumerators shall return separate blanks the
names of all regular registered voters who cannot
be found in their respective precincts and also list
OF all male persons above the age of twenty-one
actually residing in any precinct whose names are
not the registration books.
II is also provided that unless the persons max
ing affidavit as to their residence shall actually
return tho precinct where they are registered
on or before May 1-or to be accurate on the day
six months preceding the day OF election-they
shall be concusively presumed TO have lost their
residence and their names shall be marked off
without any application. complaint or other for
mality. Tho voter may return one day too late and
continue to live in his precinct ever afterward'
but that Will avail him nothing at the next cleo
1t is plain that the partisan enumerator could
easily find all Democrats at home on May l
actually residing there while Republican might
place of habitation abode unless he was sitting
The effect Of this plan Will operate harshly
against the Republican, party on the EasTrm % Snore
Al Western
Unity of those sections TO other States Will make
1t difficult for the Republicans to get all their
who may be engaged in the District or
Columbia In Pennsylvania and in Delaware to
return and take up their habitation on May in
this State All the census machinery being In the
hands OF Democrats they will be able TO secure
large amount of information that Will not De ac-
cessible to Republicans.
Senator McComas has notified his leutenants
through hout the State TO be on their guard Every
man now without the State who be reached
will be brought to his home, as to be on hand
when the enunerator calls. Republican leaders
agree that unless this is done there will be a whole
sale Acknowledgement OF Republicans. As stated
above all of the machinery is IN the handS or thS
Democrats; only Democrats Will be employed as
enumerators and Republicans Will not be informed
of what has been done until too late to obtain
redress.
contest in Maryland will be has seldom, II ever,
been seen in any State in the characterization. not
the sense OF familiarizing the citizen with the
issue but teaching the nliterate TO read the
they will be able TO vote The Republicans Will
open night schools in every ward in Baltimore and
in every districl the black counties The Demo
will have instructors give the ihterate white
the Eastern Shore lessons In reading.
The Republican leaders contend that not more than
5000 10 900 of the reported 5000 iterate negroes
will be disfranchised at the next election. They
believe that the others in the mean time will learn
how to make their ballots Democrats. on the other
ing 1000 5000 blacks to read their ballots they
will have done wonders. While the number of illit-
whites has been estimated at 1897. the
Democratic leaders in the sections of the State
where the illiterates most numerous say they
sure that than 5000 whites Will be
barred. and they hope to reduce the number to
1000 1000.
Mr. German, however has expressed the opinion
that the operations of the new election bills will
place the Democratic party 10000 votes ahead in the
with intense interest to the test of the law in the
May municipal elections in this city.