The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-11-01
Mr.. RRuCE'S LETTER.

president of the Maryland Senate at
the session of 1896, has written a let
ter to the Democratic campaign COM
mittce commenting favorably upon the
present election law This is a distinct
blow to the enemies of fair and good
Government for they had counted much
on the support of the independents, of
which Mr.. Bruce is a member, at the
coming election. 1t was the Cast straw"
which showed the direction of the politi-
cal wind this fall. In expressing his
views with respect to the election laws
affected by the legislation OF 1901, Mr..
Bruce says in part that he was member
of the State Senate when the law of that
year was passed and that he failed to
sdc in what particulars the amendments
of 1901 arc repugnant, to its spirit or
marked, by any voters except such
as experience has demonstrated to
be promotive of its leading objects. 1t
was no part of the purpose of the cleo
ton law of 1896 to insist that the sui
frage of Maryland should be intelligent
as we'll as free. 1t simply accepted the
existing basis of the suffrage, largely the
sequel of military conquest and the off
spring of violated nature, as it found it,
and confined itself to organizing in new
forms the political machinery by which
the vote of the citizens had been pre-
viously registered, cast and countei. For
the advocates of the law at that time,
when they were seeking to radically alter
prevailing methods of conducting cleo
tons and to overcome the opposition
which all political changes encounter, to
have attempted to surround the right of
suffrage with conditions exacting a
higher degree of intelligence for its exer-
else that had been usual would have been
to invite the fate that is apt to befall
every effort i'll the legislative body to
crowd two DAYS work into one.
So far from the provisions of the legis-
lation of 1901 abolishing party emblems
and requiring the voter to cross mark
the name of every candidate for whom
nc votes, being innovations upon the
spirit of the election law OF 1896, they are
entirely III keeping in with it and mea-
surcs of capital Importance i'll giving toit
itsfull 10y Party emblems
and the power that conferred upon an
ignorant or unrcasOning voter of cast
ing his ballot, for an entire group party
candidates at a single stroke, were re-
tanned i'll the election law of 1896 by the
friends of that law, not out of tender
ness for such voters but-some timid Con-
stitutional Scruples, perhaps, asidc-be-
cause they feared that in the existing
state of party opinion the Representatives
of neither party organization in the Cen
cral Assembly would be willing to dis
pense with the aids that such emblems
furnish to mechanical and unrehecting
voting.
Especially did they have fear that the
| Republican majority III the General As
semblv of 1896 would be strongly averse
| to any interference with direction that the
nose of Abraham Lincoln had long given
to the votes of thousands of the same be-
nighted adhcrents of the Republican
| party. Mr.. Bruce states that when the
| law of that year was on It's passage he
| was vigorously urged as one otits friends
to propose amendments toit wiping out
party emblems and that he was only re-
strained from so doing by the fear Of
helping to overweight horse that had
hard enough run before him as it was.
Now however, that one of the two
great party organizations OF the state
for reasons which, like all party reasons
this side of Utopia, were partly public
and partly interested, has abolished
party etnblcns, substituted men and
measures for symbols and fetichcs and
made it necessary for the voter to real
izc for what and for whom he is voting, its
action ought to receive the appreciation
of every thoughtful citizen. 1t does not
discriminate in any manner against or
in favor OF any party, class or color. 1t
simply compels the voter to vote like a
reasoning man and not like an unrcason-
ing automaton. f,in it's practical work
ing, it should bear more severely upon the
party interests ofthe Republican than the
Democratic party, this will be due not
to any unfairress in the legislation it
self but merely to the fact that the mass
of the Republican party are less conpc-
tent or willing than the mass of the
Democratic party to avail themselves OF
all the benefits OF our noble system of free
public schools. 1t is certainly far better
that some thousands of herdcd voters
should be compelled to resort to cam,
paign schools or spectaclcs or other de,
vices for the purpose ofsteering clear OF
the round co. in the word Democratic
on the official ballot than the wheels q
political progress Strengthened out, as We
;. hope, upon their assent to a higher plane
of suffrage generally, should he brought
to a standstill. An educational qualifl
cation that requires knowledge after all
of but one of the twcnty-six letters 9th,
alphabet is surely not a very stringent
limitation upon the electoral privilege
One OF the main aims of the former legis
: lation was to break up the nefariou
practice of bribery at elections by draw
| ing the veil of secrecy over the act o
marking the ballot.
Experience however, soon showed tina
the opportunities which this Legislation
Z afforded for corrupt success to the vote
under the prctense of assisting him t.
mark the ballot rendered to foster to al
alarming extent, the evils of bribery.
J, In many cases ballot clerks became lit
!. tie more than links of communicable
$ between the bride giver and bride taker
When therefore the Impression had be
! come general throughout the State tina
T the appalling proportions which briber
n at elections had assumed, were to n
l. small degree attributable to the undtl
extent to which assistance could be il
> voked, under the election law of'96, bytll
Il voter in marking his ballot it is hard t
t see where the pruning knife of the Genera