The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1901-06-22
The oost--The Necessity.

Did it ever occur to those Republicans who
complain about the expense of holding an ex-
ira session Of the General Assembly of Mary
land that the Federal Government has spent
in one trial OF the census fraud cases about
S43. 600. sam considerably more than the
extra session cost Think of this, and then
remember that there are four more cases to
be tried, and that the total expense OF these
trials may reach round 100000.
The confession Of enumeration Guyther that
frauds we're committed, the confession OF
Daniel J. Bowles, and the conviction OF Ching
of conspiracy to have the frauds committed,
is sufficient warrant to sustain the call for the
extra session Of the Legislature and the or
dering of State enumeration of the inhabi-
tants
The triaIs.above noted, related to St. Mary IS
county. but there were indictments against
one enumerator in Charles county, B. Henry
Mattingly, who confessed to frauds, where the
State Census returns show that the Federal
lists were padded with 1,735 names, and
against two in Anne Arundel county, where
some considerable padding was done Also
Had the frauds in the Federal census not
been so palpable, and no State enumeration
been made, not only would three counties IN
the State, all Republican, been entitled to
another member each in the House Of Dele
gates, to the injustice of other counties, but
the school funds would have been unequally
distributed also.
When the returns from the State Census
are made up, we believe that the Federal re-
turns from Prince Georges aud Kent coun-
ties will be proven to have been inaccurate,
if not deliberately padded. and two more
Republican counties will not be entitled to an
extra member each of the House of Delegates
and not receive an excessive superintendent
of the school funds.
Ifthe prevention of an unequal representa-
ton in the House of Delegates and an unequal
distribution of school funds did not consii
tute demand for an extraordinary session OF
the General Assembly, it is difficult to con-
ceive what would, and what the trainers OF
the Constitution of Maryland meant by giving
the Governor the power and authority to call
that body in extraordinary session.
But still there was another reason why the
General Assembly should have been called
together-the changing OF the election law so
as to prevent citizens Of Washington City from
voting in this State and changing the form OF
the ballot so that the illiterate Negroes com
ing to Maryland from Virginia and North
Carolina would have difficulty in voting, and
let them pass on into Pennsylvania aud other
Northern States, whose people profess so much
interest in them.
AS has been told in the ADVOCATE before,
the Republican managers in Maryland had
set out to Repubicanze Maryland tor all time.
By census frauds they expected to better their
chances of controlling the Legislature, and
by encouraging Negro immigration to max
the black vote so heavy that it would require
only a small white vote to always insure Re
publican success. These schemes were
we'll matured. The census frauds had
been consummated, and the immigration be-
gan last fall Every male Negro above eigh-
teen years old coming to The State would have
been twenty-one years old, at least, according
to his oath before the registrars, and those
who harbored them would have sworn that
they did not know exactly how long the col
ored immigrant had been III the State, but
that it was some time before the last election,
as was frequently done on the Eastern Shore
last fall.
When these matters are considered the man
who does not sanction the cost of the extra
session of the Legislature, is more economical
than Just. He would suffer wrong rather
than spend dollar 10 correct it. The Fed
sral Government saw proper to go 10 any ex-
pense to convict the rascals who committed
the census frauds, not TO correct the returns,
because they had been officially made up and
transmitted to Congress. And the Govern
ment will expeid many thousands of dollars
more in the cases against census enumerators
who are charged with making fraudulent re-
turns which are yet to be tried.