The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-10-11
TIE Democratic Voters.
FELLOW CITIZENS

ministration ofour State affairs, and o.
our white people more than two thirds
are certainly and with great heartines:
on our side.
There Is every reason why this should
be 80.
The laws are vigorously enforced.
| Good order and tranquility prevail.
| Our finances are in a healthy condition
The duty of dealing with the great
practical questions of taxation and
education i'll such way as to make the
| burdens Of the one as light and the bcne.
| fits of the other us large as possible, may
| most certainly be entrusted to us, for we
undoubte lily represent an overwhelming
preponderencc of those who are most
deeply interested In it's full performance
| and who will will suffer most from Its
neglect.
Encouraged by these obvious and con
vincin2 considerations and stimulated by
the gratifying record Of our work In the
memorable campaign of 1899, there
ought not to be any doubt as to the re.
suit of the contest in which we are now
engaged.
All we need is that the full strength OF
our party shall be brought to the polls.
That this may be done, we must first
turn our attention to the vital task OF
making our registration books perfect
and complete.
No name not entitled to be on these
books should he permitted TO be put or
kept on them. and no name entitled to
registration should be omitted.
1t is absolutely certain that there are
now on the registers many thousands OF
names which are wrongfully and unlaw-
fully there and which should be stricken
off.
In the counties no effort should he
spared to purge the lists of these names.
The votes of our honestly and really
qualified voters should not be nulifiedin
whole or in part by the casting of ballots
by persons who are not bona fide resi-
dents of the State.
earnestly call on our friends in each
and every precinct in the county to bestir
themselves in this most important mat
ter. Note the names of all disqualified
and improperly registered persons. Col
lect the testimony bearing on the case Qt
each one of these persons. Hand in lists
of all these names at the session of the
registration officers on October 9Th and
demand that they be stricken off at the
meeting of these officers on October 18th,
and on that day be prepared with the
evidence to sustain your demand.
See to it also that no new names be I'M
properly registered.
In Baltimore city an entirely new regis
tration will be made and this should be
SO thoroughly conducted and vigilantly
watched as to be made absolutely &C.
curate.
In this way the registries will be what
they ought to be-cnmplete and perfect
records of the lawful voters OF the State.
The vote cast on election day will be
the vote OF our people and we have no
fear of the result.
Our amended election law compels each
voter to put his cross mark on the offlc1al
ballot opposite the name OF each candi-
date he wishes to vote tor. This OF neces-
sity requires each voter to act with a
certain amount OF independence, lntelli-
gence and discrimination
1t does not absolutely stop bribery.
1t does not entirely put an end to cor
ruption.
No laws can completely accomplish
these desirahie results.
But by placing each voter beyond the
controlling hand and tongue OF election
clerks and by requiring each voter to act
tor himself 1t reduces to minimum the
chances and dangers OF bribery, corrup-
ton and intimidation.
1t secures individual freedom.
1t goes far to make the ballot absolute
ly secret.
With the reasonable assistance which
there is no man so ignorant as to dc I'M
able to mark his ballot as he wishes.
Every registered voter can easily learn
before he goes into the voting booth, the
names of those for whom he desires to
vote and the number cross marks which
he must NOT exceed, and as the require
mcnts of the law apply with absolute
equality to all voters alikc-to the litter
white man and to the illiterate colored
| man on perfect equality-there IL no
ground whatever TOR complaint of uil-
| fair and unlawful discrimination.
We need not lose the votes of any who
wish our party to succeed, for in every
precinct legitimate and proper instruc-
| ton can be had and should be given
whereby adequate knowledge of the
proper mode of marking the ballot may
be readily acquired.
For the present content myself with
reminding you that the struggle in which
we are engaged is not complicated OF
obscured by the sharply debated question
which divided our people in the Presiden
tial contests OF 1896 and 1900.
We are now dealing with the relative
advantages OF Protection or Reciprocity
or a Tariff framed to produce sucl
Revenue only as is demanded for al
honest and economical administration o
the Federal Government.
In common with our fellow.citizens al
over the Union and with the people ofth,
civilized world, our hearts are stirred t.
their deepest depths by the awful Grim,
which has deprived our country of it,
chief magistrate, President Mckinley
whose eminent and patriotic services cal
never be forgotten by grateful peopl
and whose blameless life shall stand t.
the remotest ages As an example and in
SEPARATION to all who reverence purity, IN
tesTlty ana honor, put we nave not nov
of ' the foreign fe Ar; and domestic policy of hi
VI ~. .''>' 0''''~'> fN'
| W. ,-a ,,>t ,,o,,, corco-,ad wit h tbe d;c
cussion and settlement of the great CUES
tions growing out the war with Spain
or the proper policy to be pursued i'll nix