The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-09-20
To Democratic Voters.
FELLOW CITIZENS:

The importance of our approaching
election justifies at the beginning of the
campaign an earnest appeal to all who
desire continuance of the good govern
ment which we now enjoy under Demo
cratic control to interest themselves to
secure our triumph.
There can be no fair doubt that alarge
majority of our total population prefer
that there shall be no change in the ad.
ministration ofour State affairs, and OF
our white people more than two thirds
are certainly and with great heartiness
on our side.
There is every reason why this should
be so.
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 in such way as to make the
burdens of the one as light and the bene.
fits of the other as large as possible, may
most certainly be entrusted to US, for we
undoubte lily represent an overwhelming
preponderence of those who are most
deeply interested in its full performance
and who will will suffer most from its
neglect.
Encouraged by these obvious and con.
vincing 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 NAV 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 be permitted 70 be put OF
kept on them, and no name entitled to
registration should be omitted.
It 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
of.
In the counties no effort should be
spared to purge the lists of these names
The votes of our honestly and really
qualified voters should not be nulifedi in
whole or in part by the casting of ballots
by pc sons who are not bona fide resi-.
dents of the State.
earnestly call on our friends in each
and every precinct in the county to bestii
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 o.
each one of these persons. Hand in lists
of all these names at the session of the
registration officers on October Sth 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-complete 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 nc
fear of the result.
Our amended election law compels each
voter to put his cross mark on the official
ballot opposite the name of each candi
uate ne WISHES 10 VOIt lOI. 1Hlo vi lcCSS'
sity requires each voter to act with q
certain amount of independence, intelli
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 desirable results.
But by placing each voter beyond tn.
controlling hand and tongue of election
clerks and by requiring each voter to act
for himself it reduces to a minimum tn,
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 whicl
its provisions give to illiterate voters
there is no man so ignorant as to be un
able to mark his ballot as he wishes.
Every registered voter can easily lear
before he goes into the voting booth, tn
names of those for whom he desires t,
vote and the number cross marks whicl
he must not exceed, and as the require
ments Of the law apply with absolut