The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1901-03-28

Washington, II. G., star.
The politicians OF Maryland OF
both lzrtis- are now cngro--d la
the absorbing subject of the pturo--
cd election law, for the Ia-~age of
which Governor Smith ha- sum
moned the Legislature in extra -.~-
-ion. The legal and political as
Iscts of the situation ar, leing f,-
vcri-hly discussed, In and out OF
print, and thc State T. stirred A.
never before since the days of civil
war. The opponents Of the election
bill are more in evidence than it,
advocates, who app'ar 10 h. playing
waiting game, relying upon party
dominance in the Legislature to Ac-
complish their end-.
John V. l.. FindlAy OF Baltimore,
in letter published in the Balii-
more News, appeals To the manhood
Of the State To prevent the con-um
nation Of what he terms crime
against free government. lie notc-
L
ed the franchise 10y imposing r,.stric-
tions upon Jews, but that tht--e were
removed about 1926. The Catho-
lies had previously been deprived Of
the suffrage by the PuritAns and la
ter the war conditions imposed IT,
strictions upon thousands of the cit
izens. One party aud another were
swept from power because of it, all
vocacy or practice for partisan adj
vantage Of methods of hamIcring
the free exercise Of the right u vote.
Mr.. Findlay sdds:
"Under the old system, when the
Jews and the Catholics, and later Ola
Southern synpathiz-rs, were dis
franchiscd, there could be no real ex-
preston of the popular will, becaus'.
a large portion of the people were
not permitted To express IL in the
only way il could be done-through
the ballot box. But, by the more
refined and subtle plan which took
lis place, this expression of the pop
ular will was simply nullified and
defeated by the men in charge oi
the electoral machinery. The Law
was used To defeat its own object
and the kid was seethed in it, moth
er's milk. Now il l. a strange spec
tacle that we behold, showing thaI
men do not 20 much walk on plane
as revolve i'm a circle, when Jcs-
Catholics and old Southern sympa
thizers, along with some Of tbei
! prosecutors, learning nothing from
: the past, nothing from the bitter
ness Of their own experience, and
2 taking no counsel OF justice anC
: charity for their fellow-men, are al
3 alike at the instance of discrediteC
demagogue engaged i'm an effort q
r repeat the old experiment Of disfran
: chisement, and, perhaps, in mon
1 questionable and disgraceful form
than has ever yet been attempted
Nothing can be more certain thar
that the present legislature was no
r elected on any issue which woul'
. Justify it in enacting the Legislation
o now proposed.
n WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN APPEov
ED.
"NothiDg Is clearer than tina
q thousands Of men who helped b.
I their votes to elect the present men
bers Of the House and Senate woul
have voted the other way had the
understood at the time they vote
that they were actually voting
take from themselves the right
u vote. This being so, the propose
h legislation is simply a tricky an
, fraudulent usurpation Of power un
: der the forms Of law, and If II ha
k no other badge to indicate the sourc
y no one familiar with the ways {
Ie ring DEMOCRACY prior to 1895 woul
it be at loss to place his fingers upo
the responsible author. / appeal
the manhood Of the State. If th
ballot i'm the hands Of the ignorar
70 and irresponsible has become a mel
r. ace to the safety and wellbeing (
j. the commonwealth, what Is II
a. plain, just and reasonable cour
II worthy of Maryland freemen WI
have some regard for the rights
their fellow-men to pursue? If
large class of our citizens who q
unfortunate enough 10 be unable
read are to be deprived Of about Il
D. only possession which they share
~ common with their fellow-men ar
Ae are to be degraded by being plac'
in the same class as penitentia
convicts, ought they not at least
To be heard before this terrible senten
o. is imposed?"
VS. CoNsTITUTIONALIT QUESTIONED
re The constitution of the state b
Ell. been brought into question in Il
e's connection. The senate iegislsti
Dr. committee, upholding the right
re, the legislature to enact the new eli
re tion law, declares:
ne "Section 1, article /, of the &C
he stitution declares that all electio
lr- shall be by ballot There is no {
finition of the kind, the size,
shape or the character of the ball
is The trainers Of the constitution {
or not undertake to say how the bal
.rd should be prepared, by whom
Re- should be made up, or in what mi
res ner it should be voted. The sim
en- requirement that all elections sh
lbe by ballot left the legislature f