New-York tribune., 1901-03-23
MARYLAND CAPS CLIMAX
REPUBLICAN LEADERS DETERMINED TO
CHECK DIsFRANCHIsEMENT.
DRAFTING A PLAN TO CUT DOWN REPRE-
sENTATIoN OF STATES THAT PUT RE-
sTRIcTIoNs on THE BALLOT.
rBr TELEGR APH TO THE TRIBrNE.I ]

sTRICTIoNs OK THE BALLOT.
e. rBr 1ELEGR APH TRIBrNE.l
! Washington March CIT can be announced
eu,boritatively that if present plans do not fail
the next Congress will deal seriously with the
question Of cutting down representation to as
fnear the actual vote as il is possible to deter
mine that factor The basis Of representation
Is now the potential vote in half dozen or
more States where, it is well known. one voter
has as much voice in the affairs of the govern
l,,ent from precinct constable up through all the
grades TO President, two to five voters in
the States where there drastic restric-
items on the ballot. Wholesale disfranchsement
has proceeded unchecked in the South under
the guse Of protecting the whites from negro
domination until it has reached climax in
Maryland where the legislature this week en-
acted ballot law that is intended to aid ex-
Senator German to get back to the Senate by
taking the vote away from fifty thousand Re-
publicans. There has been complaint in
Maryland about the danger of the ignorant and
Nnettered blacks outvoting the white property
owners and thus burdening the State with
iruinous system Of taxation as there has been
in other States of the South where the blacks
have been deprived of the right to by the
imposition of educational qualifications.
While there has been considerable talk among
Executive Department for the last two three
years OF taking steps to check this disfranchise
ilnent IN the South we'll as in Massachusetts
iand Rhode Island where also the ballot is
:hedged about by restrictive qualifications, the
faction in contemplation probably would have
been postponed Indefinitely if the Gormanites
tin Maryland had not gone far in their des-
iperate game to reclaim that State from the
Republicans. 1t is pointed that the Mary
land 0ev,oo
new ballot law which is designed to wipe out
sthe Republican majority which has been growing
ssnce 1886 are also now preparing to
stake State census which to base repre-
esentation in the next legislature that is expected
Ito re-elect Mr.. German TO the Senate. On the
s5ederal census recently completed the Republi-
cans would stand a good show OF carrying the
arext legislature, in spite Of the ballot law
sbut with the count of the population in their
sown hands the Gormanites can elect just about
sas many members of the next legislature as they
want. The State bill has passed both
Ehouses of the legislature, and is ready for the
sGovernor's signature
WATCHING THE MARYLAND DEMOCRATS
The conduct OF the Maryland Democrats is
being closely watched by several of the Repub-
lican leaders of the Senate. and particularly by
tSenator Burrows. of Michigan, who will sue
tceed Mr.. Chandler OF New-Hampshire, as
schairman Of the Committee on Privileges and
IElections in the next Congress. This is one of
Ithe things that has kept Mr.. Burrows in Wash
lsngton since the expiration Of the last Congress
;1Ie is not prepared yet to announce his plan, al
Though IL is known that he is carefully investi-
sgating the disfranchisement of voters by vari-
.ous devices, and for variety of avowed
cuses. with the object Of devising some general
law that will serve the double purpose of putting
stop 10 further dsfranchisement and cutting
down the representation and influence in the
Federal Government of all States in which the
ballot is withheld from tens Of thousands of
citizens WHOSE right to vote is guaranteed by
the constitution.
What is now going in Maryland said
Senator Burrows to 2 representative Of The
Tribune. 'typifies the evils of disfranchisenent.
Nobody can deny that the action being taken in
That State is partisan to the extreme, and is
wholly designed TO give political party an
\ 'nsuperabe advantage over another. If the
u check is not speedily applied who knows how
long IL will be before ours is a representative
government in name only?"
Senator Burrows is satisfied that the Four
feenth Amendment contains ample constitutional
Warrant ior the proposed course. although he dis
Germs a stumbling block in the way OF arriving
at an approximate estimate OF the number of
voters dlsfranclhsed by qualification tests. He
does not now see how any definite or satisfac-
tory Information can be obtained as TO the num-
Der Of disfranchised voters When he and those
who are working with him solve this problem
they will be ready to frame Law in accordance
with the growing determination OF the Repub-
llcan leaders to diTest Of their. present strength
IN Congress and the electoral college those
States which have deprived large bodies Of citi-
zens of the right to vote. IT Is explained that a
new reapportonment can be made at any time
congress sees fit TO do So and is not confined
by the constitution to decennial periods as
seems to be popularity understood
The director Of the census. Governor Mer-
ram, says that the difficulty which Senator
tBurrows perceives viii no longer exist when he
certain a. he
census. Ma Merriam declares that within thirty
or forty days his department will have ready
Tor puoncation the most complete and compre-
'hensive statistics the subject OF illiteracv
ever collected. These viii be presented by
States. and the figures will be so tabulated as to
snow the number of illiterate males and females
of trenty-one years old and under This il is
thought, viii provide the information which
Senator BURROWS now says is lacking so far as
The States in which educational qualification
has been prescribed are concerned.