The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-12-06
ELECTION CONTESTS.

ELECTION CONTESTS.
The recent talk of the Republicans
about contesting the seats of the
Democrats who have been returned
elected members of the Legislature
will doubtless react as a boomerang
upon those who started the discus
sion. The Democrats are holding
under advisement the practicablllty
of filing petitions for recounts in a
large number of cases. Careful in
vestigation has shown that, while
the Republicans have been raising all
the hue and cry about only Republic
can ballots being rejected, it turns
out in point of fact that the number
of spoiled Democratic tickets is al
most equally as large. In many
cases, especially in Cecilcounty, where
there was any doubt as to whether
or not ticket should be counted,
the tendency was to lean towards
the Republican contention in the case.
Senator Crothers has been returned
as being 1919 votes behind his op-
ponent, Henry M. Mccullough, and
it is claimed that a recount would
develop different results. In Balti-
more the majority of Senator Putzel
is only Slight and it would require
but very little change to elect his
Democratic opponent. Acontest will
probably also be made In Somerset
county where the result is exceedingly
close.
The Democrats cannot be blamed
for -aking advantage of these re-
counts after the way that the Repub-
lican party has acted since the
election. There was a disposition on
the part of the dominant party to
let the election day settle all matters
in dispute and stand or fall by the
official returns that were made up
by the judges of the different election
precincts ofthe State. This was not in
accordance with Senator McComas'
liking; and hehas caused to be spread
broadcast throughout the country
the charges that there were gross
election frauds from one end of the
State to the other. If his assertions
are to be believed Maryland must
be as strongly Republican as Penn
sylvania. No doubt she would be,
if her election law was the same and
administered by officials who owe
their political creation to Senator
Matthew Stanley Quay.
1t is the desire of every well-think-
ing person that the will of the ma
jority of the voters of this State shall
be respected. fla majority of the
legal ballots cast at the election
shows that the Republicans are en-
titled to the seats that they are now
claiming, they should have them.
On the other hand, however, if a re-
count shows that the Democrats
have majority of the legal votes
cast, the committees should not hest
tate to seat them. We must confess
that we were somewhat disappoint-
ed when the face of the returns show
ed that the Democrats would not
have majority sufficient to pass the
call for the proposed Constitutional
Convention. 1t was our constant
aim throughout the campaign to
aid all that we could to bring about
this result. But as sincerely as we
desire to see the call for the new con-
vention pass, yet we earnestly op-
pose any movement looking to the
unseating of members to bring about
this result unless it is the will of the
voters ofthe State. Like many other
Democrats we will welcome recount
and be willing to stand or fall by its
results. Politics should be conducted
like other ordinary business affairs
of life and we only ask that such
steps should be taken as are not only
within the letter, but the spirit of
law.