The news & observer., 1901-03-21
NO EXCITEMENT SHOWN
Bill Passed Very Quietly. Five Demo
Gratis Vote Nay.
THE CLAIMS OF The BILLS FRIENDS
Il Will Bafle COruptonists, Restore the Secrecy
Of the Ballot and Make Maryland Again
Democratic. Il is Similar 10 he
Massachusetts Law.
Massachusetts Law.
(By the Associated Press.)

Annapolis, Md, March 2O.-The new
practical disfranchisement of most of the
so 900 illiterate voters of the State, pass
ed the Senate shortly after midday. 1t
was Immediately sent to the House, where
all the amendments made by the Senate
were concurred in. and the bill passed.
1t is now ready for the Governors sig
nature.
The final passage of the bill was mark
ed by the utter absence of anything of a
sensational character. In the Senate, but
one protest was offered which came in
the form of a speech from Senator Dod-
son, Republican, who characterized the
entire proceedings as a blot upon the fair
name and honor of the State. The final
vote was IL to IA. strict party division.
In a quarter of an hour after passing
the Senate the bill was before the House,
where it's consideration was Immediately
begun. One by one, the Senate's amend
ments were taken up and concurred in
without division. Then it was put upon
it's final passage with no attempt at de-
lay upon the part of the minority except
a motion to allow them one hour to con-
slider the amendments. This was prompt
ly voted down, and the bill was passed
by vote of SO to 2S the Democrats hav-
ing six votes more than the majority
required by the Constitution. Five DEM
ocrats, Messrs. Buskey and Lamin, of
Frederick, Keys of Cecil, Pattison, of
Dorchester and Garner, of ST. Mary's
voted with the Republicans.
The most important change in existing
methods accomplished by the enactment
of the new law lies in deprlving illiterate
voters of the assistance of ballot clerks
in preparing their ballots. Under the
previous practice these clerks accompa-
MED such voters into the booths and
marked their ballots for them, or showed
them how to do it. The Democrats claim
that this practice utterly destroyed the
secrecy of the ballot and made it possible
for corruptionists to learn through signals
from the ballot clerks whether bargains
made with corrupt voters had been car
ried out The arrangements Of the names
on the ballots has been altered so that
the candidates for each office are group
ed instead of being arranged in groups
according to the party they represent.
Party emblems are abolished and other
changes made which make the new law
very similar to that in existence in Mas
sachusetts.
The effect of the law, is Of course large
ly matter of conjecture, and one upon
which the party leaders widely differ.
The Democrats expect that it will dis
franchise about $4,000 negroes and per-
haps $4,000 white voters who cannot read
or write. OF these ii is claimed that all
the negroes and about fifty per cent or
the whites vote the Republican ticket.
With these out of the way the State VIII
be safely Democratic for many years TO
come, and the immediate result will oe
the election of a Democratic legislature
next fall and of a Democrat to succeed
United States Senator Wellington in 1902
The active interest taken by Senator
German in the passage of the bill leaves
no doubt of his candidacy for the Sena-
torship in the event that the effect OF new
law is as the Democrats expect 1t to be.