The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1901-09-20
An Address to Democrats.

| the SOOu government WHICH " y III" S"J'J
under Democratic control to interest
themselves to secure our triumph.
There can be no fair doubt that large
majority of our total population prefer
that there shall be no change in the ad-
ministration of our 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 educa-
ton in such a way as to make the burdens
| of the one as light and the benefits of the
other as large as possible, may most safely
be entrusted to US, for we undoubtedly
represent an overwhelming preponder-
ance of those who are most deeply inter-
| ested in its full performance and who 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 result 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 be 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 be
spared to purge the lists of these names.
The votes of our honestly and really
qualified voters should not be nullifed in
whole or in part by the casting of ballots
BY persons who are not bona file residents
of the State.
earnestly call on our friends in each
and every precinct in the counties to be-
stir themselves in this most important
matter. Note the names of all disquali
fed and improperly registered persons.
Collect the testimony bearing on the case
I,>f Df 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 reg
istration will be made and this Should be
so thoroughly conducted and vigilantly
watched as to be made absolutely accurate.
In this way the registries will be what
they ought to be-complete and perfect
The vote cast on election day will be
the vote of our peopl; and we have no
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 candidate
he wishes to vote for. This of necessity
requires each voter to act with a certain
amount of independence, intelligence 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 the
controlling hand and tongue of election
clerks and by requiring each voter to act
for himself it reduces to a minimum the
chances and dangers of bribery, corrup-
ton and intimidation.
1t secures individual freedom.
1t goes far to make the ballot absolutely
secret.
With the reasonable assistance which
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 learn
before he goes into the voting booth the
names of those for whom he. desires to
vote and the number of cross marks which
he must not exceed, and as the require
ments of the law apply with absolute
equality to all voters alike--to the litter
ate white man and to the illiterate colored
ground whatever for complaint of unfair
and unlawful discrimination.
We need not lose the votes of any who
wish our party to succeed. for in every
precinct legitimate aud proper instruction
can be had and should be given whereby
adequate knowledge of the proper mode
of marking the ballot may be readily &C
quired.
For the present content myself with
reminding you that the struggle in which
we are engaged is not complicated or OBJ
scured by the sharply debated questions
which divided our people in the Presi.
| Dental contests of 1896 and 1900.
We are not now dealing with the rela-
tive advantages of Protection or Reel
procity or Tariff framed to produce such
Revenue only as is demanded for an hon
est and economical administration of the
Federal Government.
In common with our fellow citizens all
over the Union and with the people of the
| civilized world, our hearts are stirred to
their deepest depths by the awful crime
which has deprived our country of its
Chief Magistrate, President Mckinley,
whose eminent and patriotic services can
never be forgotten by grateful people
and whose blameless life shall stand to
the remotest ages as an example and in
| spilation to all who reverence purity in
| tegrity and honor, but we have not now
| under review the wisdom and eXpcdiency
| of the foreign and domestic policy of his