Evening star., 1901-11-08
TRICKS AT POLLS REACT
GORMaN'S METHODS IN MARYLAND
DENOUNCED BY DEMOCRATS.
Ballots i'm Southern Counties of the
state Violated Spirit and Let
ter of the Law.
FROM the Baltimore sun, Today

from the Baltimore sun, To-day.
Nothing has been more clearly indicated
by the result of the late election in this
stat, than that the people favor fair play.
Any suspicion of fraud or trickery is bound
TO be resented and to react upon the party
which attempts it if the people get a
chance at it. In the election in Washing
ton county, for example. the democratic
party had fair prospect of success ana
in the opinion of some this prospect
was destroyed by the discovery early in
the day of a misprint the ballot While
the error may have been made uninten-
tionalIy and doubtless was made without
fraudulent design. vet there was such
lack of confidence in the administration OF
the law that il was at once suspected that
the mistake was intended, and the result
was disastrous to the democrats.
Democrats Disgusted.
Scores of republicans. according to a
news dispatch, who had promised to vote
part Of the democratic ticket. when they
learned of the misprinted ballot, went to
The democratic candidates and told them
they would not vote for them. Many demo-
Gratis became disgustcd and would not go
to the polls, allowing the election to go by
default. Democratic candidates refused to
ask republicans to vote for them, being un-
able to explain the misprinted ballot and un-
willing to defend 1t. and some left the polls
early III the day. Democratic workers be-
came disheartened and gave up the fight
two hours after the polls opened.
So. too, the alleged attempt to mislead
by trick ballots in southern counties dis
guSted voters all over the state and cost
the party dearly. These practices are in
open violation nf the spirit well as of
the letter of the law, and any law which
is not sufficiently safeguarded against vio-
lations of this kind should be amended
The law was framed and enacted by the
democratic party, and that party owed it
to the people that it should be fairly admin
istered. 1t has been more discredited by
the way it has been executed in certain
quarters than by it's provisions
Fair Ballot Demanded.
The results of some of it's provisions, 1t
cannot be denied. excellent. No one
objects to requiring at an election GER
tain amount of intelligence. provided it is
done with fairness and in good faith The
result of of the provisions of the law
has been discrimination exercised by the
voters which has not been so apparent IN
elections here in many years. The voter
under the new law cannot vote for ticket.
There is no party ticket and he must vote
for each candidate individually. The re-
suit is seen in the election returns, for i'll
the city and in number of the counties
candidates of both parties. were elected,
and the same seems to be true of the state
ticket 1t is not ordinarily the case that
every candidate of one party is superior to
every candidate of the other party. This
form of ballot encourages the voter to dis
criminate and to select the best men from
each party. The new law doubtless has
many other excellent features. These
should be retained and the bad ones i'm
proved or removed, and the work should
not be done in any partisan spirit, but in
the spirit Of patriotism and fair play. And
above all. there should be provision made
for the prompt ascertainment and an
nOunCement of the result of elections A
long delay III returns produces unrest and
suspicious and may create opportunities for
perpetrating fraud.