The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-01-25
NECESSITY FOR IN EXTRA SEES
SION.

NECESSITY FOR IN EXTRA SES-
SION.
The absorbing question at the pres
emf time ia as to the ACCESSIBILITY Of
calling an extra session of the Legis
lature. While the matter has been
more or less agitated for sometime nc
decided steps have been taken unit
very recently. When first brosched
thoughtful people were adverse tc
taking any decided steps, prefering
to let the question of new election
law pursue the ordinary course Of
similar matters of legislation and
wait until the next regular session
when the wrongs complained of could
be remedied without the additions
expense of special session.
Another reason for this extreme
caution was the desire, on the part Of
many Democrats, not to enact any
legislation that might be considered
as partisan without giving the people
Of the State ample time to fully con
slider the matter Such was the trend
Of public sentiment until the govern
Iuent made public the return of the
recent census. By this census it was
found that the House of Delegate:
was increased from a membership Of
ninety one to ninety eight, not in itselt
an Objectionable matter. A careful
examination, however, disclosed the
fact that while the Democrats haG
only gained one representative, the
Republicans had acquired six, and
stranger still that four of these came
from the Fifth Congressional District,
the home of Congressman Mudd, who
is an aspirant for the seat of United
States Senator, George l.. Wellington.
An Indignant protest was immediate.
~ filed with the Governor, coming
from all parts of the State asking
that an extra session of the Legisla-
tuTe be at ouce convened, as ne has
the power to do, for the primary pur-
] ose of examining into the census re.
Turns in order to gain a correct ap-
r0rtiopment. This appeal came not
Only from Democrats but from many
intelligent Republicans, VINO recogniz-
ed the dangerous, permanent power
that was being practically put into the
hands of one man. In other words
Trey deemed it better and wiser TO
scotch the snake" before he became
is probably no more dangerous man
il Maryland today, from political
standpoint, than is this self-same
Mudd. He glories in what other per-
sops consider as being off ia color and
ii is said, as freely by his friends as
enemies, that he never hestitates to
count the cost when victory can be
won.
The returns from q number of the
counties also, to say the least, seem
peculiar. Three of the strongest
counties in the State from a Demo
cratic standpoint, are Hartford, Queen
Anne's and Cecil. By the census OF
1900 they have not only shown 10
material advancement but have
actually gone back. A comparison
of the number Of registered voters of
Hartford shows that we have only
three and one-half population to each
voter, while Charles, st. Mary's and
Anne Arundel, all of them being i'll
Mudd's district, have q population of
four and one half to each voter. If
Harford's enumeration is right then
the others must necessarily be wrong
1t is hardly necessary to go particu-
larry into criticism of our own census
there are many matters that have
been brought to public notice which
Cannot fail to convince any unbiased
person that Hartford has not made
the loss that the enumeration shows.
In making this passing remark we
consider it beneath the notice of any
seit-reHpecting journal TO attempt to
reply to the silly charges now being
iLdustriousiy circulated by a number
of he smaller fry of the Republican
bosses, that there is any intended re-
f"ctiop upon the personal integrity of
those persons vino made the enumera-
ton.
Tie A9tS, in 8 recent issue, before
these census returns we're brought to
light, saw fit at that time to oppose
ali extra session upon the grounds
heretofore referred to. Since then,
however, such base partisanship has
been fully unearthed that we feel
constrained to change our views, and
new unhesitatinglY urge Governor
Smith TO call an extra session OF the
Legislature for the purpose of passing
Il law authorizing a new census; and
for the additional reason of enacting
r law that will, if we may use the term,
nn-bishop the negro voter. We have
q ways favored remedial laws in this
direction and SO far as known stand
tAi~AtS III ttoSCi IN = UOChh 10
right not only for the white people of
this State but the negro himself.
We would rather have seen this
matter take its own course and an
to the Constitution
adopted similar to the ones now in
vogue in North Carolina and several
other Southern States. 1t is now ap-
parent to any careful observer that in
this We are being forestalled by a
shrewd manipulation OF the census
that will give the Republicans sufti-
cient membership from Republican
counties TO block any such a measure
in the House of Delegates.
THE PROPOSED ELECTION Law.
1t is now an assured fact that Gov
ernor Smith will call an extra session