The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-04-04
REPUBLICANS PROTEST.
Appeal for Manhood and the Man
hood Suffrage.
Declare Extra Session Showed Power of
Corrupt COterie-OppOse Federal In
reference.

Immediately after the adjournment
OF the Legislature on Thursday after
noon of last week the Republican
Senators and Delegates held meet
ing in the south wing of the State
Library and formulated the following
address Ito the people of Maryland
1.-The Republican members of the
General Assembly believe that it is
their duty to address you brief re-
view of the extraordinary session that
has just closed. We are led to adopt
this unusual course by the belief that
unless the power of the autocratic
and INSCRIPTIONS coterie that has
possession of our State government is
promptly rebuked and checked there
is grave danger that our election laws
will be further mutilated and the
machinery of the government again
employed as an agency of extortion
and corruption. The hand of the
political boss is visible in every act of
the desperate play, from its inception
to It's elimination. The extra session
idea had its birth as result of a po-
litical deal that was to put one man
in the United States Senate by strip
ping $4,000 citizens of their constitu-
tional and sovereign right to vote and
to give to another man the control of
the construction of the sewerage sys-
TEN of Baltimore city that will cost
$20,000,000 before it is completed
These two men had complete control
of a sufficient number of Democratic
members of the two branches of the
Legislature to secure the passage of
any law they deemed necessary to adj
vance their personal ambition.
SESSION BEGAN WITH FRAUD.
when the Senate met on the day
set by the Governor, the secretary de-
clared a quorum present when only
- Senators were in the chamber, and
concealed the fact by emitting from
the journal the names of those pres
ent. The Il Democratic Senators
present knowingly participated in
this violation of an express provision
of the Constitution, which requires
the presence of IA Senators, and at
tempted to organize and legislate. In
so doing they were advised and direc-
ted by their chiefs. Such party dis
cipline is dangerous and such domi-
nation intolerable.
THE new election law renders it
impossible for the citizens who can
not read to vote, and is so cunningly
drawn that it will be difficult for the
educated to avoid having their ballots
thrown out. Any mark upon the
ballot other than an tx" within the
voting square. however innocently
made, will render the ballot void
Furthermore, an error in voting for
a candidate for a single Office, where
there are large number to be filed
will prevent the remainder of the bal
lot from being counted. Under the
act of 1896 it was made the duty of
the judges of election to learn from
the ballot, il possible, the intention of
the voter, and the ballot was counted
to the extent to which such intention
could be ascertained. The old law
tried to make the exercises of the cit
liens right to vote easy; the new law
makes it as difficult as possible. 1t
can be predicted with confidence that
disputes will arise in every polling
place throughout the State on cleo
ton day. We ask you to compare
this condition with the peaceful and
orderly elections to which we have
become accustomed since 1896, and
the results of which have never been
questioned by either party. although
each in turn has been successful and
defeated. We offered amendments
to correct the defects in the law, but
they fell on deaf ears.
REVOLUTIONARY RULINGS.
THE President of the Senate, in
violation of it's rules and precedents,
declared motion for the previous
question in order, and for the first
time in the history of the Senate de-
bate was cut off. The time-respected
custom of permitting full and I'M
restricted discussion of questions was
swept aside and most important
check upon hasty and ill-considered
legislation destroyed. In the House
of Delegates the previous question
was constantly used to prevent
amendments and discussion, and was
moved when the election bill was on
its final passage so as to permit but
one Republican speech.
THE sewerage bill was reported by
the chairman of the committee with
out meeting of the committee being
held, and the election Dill was certi-
fed to be correct by Democratic mem
beers of the Engrossing Committee
without the Republican members be-