The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1901-03-08
MIR, GORMAN'S VIEWS.

Aspecial dispatch to the Baltimore Sun
from Annapolis on Wednesday says:
En- Senator German this afternoon talk
ed freely about the action of the Senate
in cffectng an organization. "Whether
the presiding officer and other officials of
the two houses hold over for the extra
session" he said, seems to be matter
which the two bodies may decide for
themselves. In Maryland there are pre-
cedents both ways. The course of the
Senate this morning I consider entirely
legal and orderly. The Legislature was
called together by the Governor and met
to-day. The presiding officer of neither
house was in the seat. What was the
Senate to DO? What could it do except
to organize and proceed to its constitu
tional duties? The secretary at the APP
pointed time called the Senate to order,
the proceedings were begun with prayer
and a motion was made for the election
of presiding officer. A number of Sena-
tors were present, and the President and
other officers were elected. The roll was
not called because no one asked for it.
There is nothing in the record to show
that a quorum was not present. If it is
fact that quorum was not present the
Republicans could easily have broken up
the session by leaving one of their Sena-
tors in the chamber to demand roll call
and see that a quorum was present. That
Senator, if it was the object of the Re-
publicans to prevent business, could have
left the chamber before his name was
reached in the roll call or could have
declined to reply. But this was not done
and theRepublicans lost their opportunity.
proceedings it can easily be corrected to-
morrow by simple resolution when
a quorum is present.
Speaking of the change in the Senate
rules made to-day, Mr.. German said:
''This does not make any material change
in the old rules. The President Of the
Senate always has the right under Jeffer-
sons Manual to declare dilatory motions
out of order 1t has been done frequent
ly by various Presidents. The new rule
is more specific and is mandatory upon
the presiding officer to put stop to
persistent obstruction. The same thing
will be done in the United States Senate.
and it has been brought about by the
abuse of the rules"
Mr.. German also talked at length about
the increasing use of money at elections,
not only for vote buying, but for the ex-
penses of the committees. He said: "Peo-
pie make charges for services which were
in former times performed without any
expense or pay. The expenses of each
| campaign arc several times larger than the
one which preceded it, and it is not con-
fined to Maryland l am told by Repub-
lican party leader in New York that it
costs his party in that State for what are
considered legitimate expenses $500 a
precinct. believe that it is impossible
to stop vote buying and vote selling by
legislation, although it may be mitigated.
The proposed law may have good effect,
because there will be no certain way for
the vote seller to prove that he has voted
according to contract. AS to the dangers
from manipulating election returns by the
delay in counting the ballots under the
| new ballot law, l consider the BIZ partisan
| provisions of the existing law, which it is
not proposed to change, are sufficient
safeguard against that"
Notwithstanding this opinion, it is con-
sidered very desirable that the proper safe
| guards be thrown about the new law. 1t
is recognized that prompt returns of the
count should be sent in. The new form of
ballot will necessarily retard the process
of counting. Therefore, one of two things
must be done: Either the polls must be
closed earlier or the voting precincts in
many districts must be subdivided. Per.
haps it would be better to do both The
Supervisors of Elections have now the
power under existing law whenever it is
necessary to create voting precincts, bu,
the number of voters to the precinct
should be made much less, say not to ex
coed 300 in the rural districts and 400 in
Baltimore. 1t is believed almost any sci
of election officers could handle 300 ballots
within reasonable time the same night anC
send in the returns promptly. The new
law, however, should be specific an6
mandatory in its terms, and there is reason
to expect the matter will receive proper
consideration.