The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-06-28

vldes that any county containing
of less than $4,000 shall
have two members i'll the House OF
Delegates. If the county contains
population between 49, 900 and 2S,-
600, it is to have three members; IT
between $4,000 and 10000, four
members; if between 10000 and So
600, five members. The appointment
is to be made upon the basis OF the
Federal Census, unless State Census
is taken. From these provisions of
the Constitution it was manifestly
to the interest not only of the Repub-
lican party, but of Mr.. Mudd person
ally-the leader of that party in his
district-to have the representation
of all the counties which were re-
liably or probably Republican as
large as possible.
The three counties-St. Mary's
Charles and Anne manufactured
an opportunity for a gain in the
number of delegates. The first two
are Republican counties, and in Anne
Arundel there is a reasonable prob
ability of Republican success. In st.
Mary's county the census of 1880
showed a population of 16, 1884; the
census of 1890 a population of 49,
$40. 1t was assumed that the census
of 1890 was defective, owing to the
fact that the enumerators were re-
quired to make inquiries upon sucha
large number of subjects that in the
rural districts their work did not pay,
and it was, to some extent, neglected.
There was, therefore, the sug-
gestion of probability that the
population of St. Mary's county
was not much under $4,000. In
Charles county the census of 1880
showed population of Is, 54S; the
census of1s90apopulation OILS, 191
For similar reasons it seemed likely
that the population of Charles coun-
ty was very close to the Is, 900 limit.
In Anne Arundel the census of 1880
showed a population of 2S,526; the
census of 1890 a population of
34,094. 1t was possible that Anne
Arundel county might come very near
the 10000 limit.
Accordingly, it so happened that
after the population in these counties
was announced, about the middle Of
last December, it was found thai the
enumeration in St. Mary's county
showed 1876 inhabitants, in
Charles county 49, inhabitants,
and in Anne Arundel county 40,01S.
There was thus gain of one member
in the representation of each of the
three counties in the House of Dele
gates.
Suspicion was naturally aroused,
especially by the fact that in other
counties in the district Of Mr.. Mudd,
such as as Calvert county, which
contained a population of $500, and
was thus hopelessly within the Is, 900
limit, there was no great growth in
the population"
1t will be readily seen from this re-
port that the Democratic party was
not only fully justified in the action
taken by Governor Smith and the
Legisla' ure, in demanding an accur-
ate census for Maryland, but also,
that they would have been justly
blamed for any supine submission to
the outrageous frauds perpetrated by
the big and little Republicans of the
State.
That an honest and correct census
can be taken under the direction Of
the Democratic party is clearly shown
by what has been done by officials
appointed under the present State
administration. Not a whisper has
been heard of any wrongful action OF
the part of the enumerators who
have taken the new census. And
we do not violate any known princi-
pie for interpreting the methods of
men, when we say that civil service
reformers would be fairly belching
forth blasts, like a death dealing
Sirocco, could they only find a vent
in the Democratic party through
which to begin operations.