The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-03-28
MARYLAND'S LAW
Providing for Disfranchiserent of All
lIiiterate Voters
PASSES THE LEGISLATURE EASILY.
Estimated Tha: Fully Fifty Thousand
VIII Be Disfranchised by the Work.
ings of the New Law.

Annapolis, Nd. Speclal.-I lie ne"
election bill. having for its object the
practical d!St.ranchisement OF mos; OF
the $4,000 illiterate voters Of the
State. passed the Senate shortly after
midday. 1t was Immediately sent to
the House. where all the amendments
made by the Senate were concuTred
in. and the bill passed. II is now rea-
dy for the Governors signature.
The final passage OF the bill was
marked by the utter absence OF any
thing OF a sensational character. In
the Senate bu, one protest was entered,
which came in the form OF speech
from Senator Doison, Republican,
who characterized the entire proceed
ings as a blot upon the fair name and
honor of the State. The final vote was
II TO "A. a strict party division. In a
quarter OF an hour after passing the
Senate the consideration was lmmedl-
ately begun. One by one the Senates
amendments were taken up and con-
Cured in without division. Then 1t
was put upon its final passage, with
no attempt at relay upon the part OF
the minority, except motion to allow
them one hour to consider the amend
ments. This was promptly voted down,
and the bill was passed by vote OF
So to 2S. the Democrats having SIX
votes more than the majority requir-
ed by the constitution. Five Demo-
Gratis. Messrs. Buckley and Lamin, OF
Frederick; Keys. OF Cecil; Patuson, OF
Dorchester and Garter of st. Marys,
voted with the Republicans.
The most important change in ex-
listing methods accomplished by the
enactment of the new. law lies IN de-
priving illiterate voters of the assis-
tance of ballot clerks in preparing
their ballots. Under the previous prac-
tice these cerks accompanied sucn
voters into the booths and marked
their ballots for them, or showed them
how to do it. The Democrats claim
that this practice utterly Destroyed the
secrecy of the ballot and made it pos
sible for corruptionists TO learn throu-
Oh signals from the ballot clerks
whether bargains made with corrupt
voters had been carried out. The ar
rangement OF the names on the bal
lets has been altered so that the can
didates for each office are grouped in
stead of being arranged in groups ac-
cording 10 the party they represent.
Party emblems are abolished and otn-
er changes which make the new law
very nearly similar 10 that in exist
erce in Massachusetts. The erect OF
the law. is. OF course. largely matter
of conjecture. and one upon which the
party leaders widely differ. The Dem
ocrats expect that il will disfranchise
about $4,000 negroes ard perhaps 16,-
600 white voters who cannot read or
write. OF these ii is claimed. all the
negroes and abou; 30 pr cent. Of the
whites vote the Republican ticket.
With these out OF the way the State
will be safely Democratic for many
years 10 come, and the immediate re-
suit will lie the election of Demo
crat to succeed United STATES Senator
Wellington IN 1902.
The active interest taken by Senator
German in the passage OF the bill
leaves no doubt of his candidacy for
the senatorship IN the event that the
efec: of the new law is as the Demo
Gratis expec; it to be.