The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-11-21
TO ABOLISH TRICK BALLOTS.
Democratic Managers in Maryland VIII
Oppose The Policy in Future.

oppose The Policy in Future.
BALTIMORE, Md, Nov. 1S.-Demo-
cratic managers want no more 70 do
with trick ballots, says the Baltimore
correspondent of the Philadelphia
Record, Dem.).
Those issued by the election super
visors in Baltimore and the central
and western Maryland counties cost
the party dear in the recent cam
paign. 1t caused loss of four Demo-
cratic delegates in the Second legisla-
tive district in Baltimore, and other
losses would be hard to estimate.
There is among Democrats revul-
sion of feeling against the practice of
such methods as those in Southern
Maryland and in Talbot aod Somer-
set counties.
The control of the House of Dele
gates by the Democrats is due to the
election law which they passed. But
for this law they would not have
captured st. Mary's county, three
votes in Prince Georges, two in Caro-
line, one in Somerset, two in Talbot
and four in Anne Arundel.
The Republicans are determined to
make a bitter fight against this law.
They say that under it 10000 ballots
were thrown out. Senator Putzel
will lead the fight for repeal. The
Democratic managers, however, have
determined that the law shall not be
repealed, but they will meet the Re-
| publicans halfway.
| Isaac Lobe Straus, member of the
House from Baltimore, and a candi-
date for Speaker and Senator DIN
| Bryan are drawing up amendments
! for the law and also for new and
fair law to govern the primaries. In
the general election law it is intended
to continue to arrange the names of
candidates alphabetically with their
politics attached. The party emblem
will not be restored.
Stringent provision will be made
against the use of such ballots as
were lately employed in some of the
counties of Southern Maryland.
The law will prescribe that all the
ballots in use throughout the state
and in Baltimore city shall be printed
in uniform type, with a uniform az
rangement of names of candidates
and party designation, and the type
to be used will be required to be of
plain and bold sort
The ballot will contain above each
group of candidates specific directions
as to the number of candidates to be
voted for. 1t was the absence of this
latter direction on the ballot at the
late election that caused hundreds of
men to vote for more candidates for
the Legislature than they should and
! thus lose their votes.
The fight for presiding officers of
the two Houses of the Legislature
will soon begin. Should President
John Hubner not be candidate for
reelection as president of the Sen
ate, Col. Spencer G. Jones or William
b. Peter, of Howard county, will be
the principal candidates with the
chances in favor of the latter.
So far Isaac Lobe Straus, of Balti-
more city, is the leading candidate
| for sneaker of tho HouSa Nohla T.
Mitchell, of Hartford; Peter J. Camp
bell, of Baltimore city, and John G.
Rogers, of Howard county, are also
mentioned. Should Senator Peter be
made president of the Senate, Rogers
will be out of the race for speaker as
the two presiding officers would not
be selected from the same county.
The Democratic managers say they
do not intend to do anything radical
during the coming session of the
Legislature, but on the inside there
is a plan being considered to punish
Mayor Hayes for sulking in the cam
paign.
Some OF the managers say he did
nothing to help Mr.. German and ig-
norsd the regular party organization.
If they find sentiment among the
Democrats in the general assembly
favorable to the scheme the managers
propose to lop off six months of Mayor
Hayes term by changing the time of
the municipal election from May to
November, to go into effect next No
vember. Hayes term of four years
does not expire until May, 1908.
1t is believed, however, that Mr..
German and Chairman Vandiver, of
the state committee, will oppose the
plan. They would rather heal party
differences than create others.
The Democrats fully realize that
they are up against the Independent
sentiment in the city and state. They
have no desire to antagonize this
sentiment, knowing by experience
that the independent vote holds the
balance of power in the state. 1t is
claimed, however, that not many of
the Independents are favorable to-