The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-03-13
"IMPROvING" THE ELECTION LAW.

LII INV ANu III @L6N11ON LA W.
The Democratic Assemblymen are
having a hard time trying to "get
together" on the election law. The
object in view is to disfranchise vot-
ers by methods that may be more
high-handed but are not so dirty as
those which were used last fall. What
the managers of the party want to do
is to secure permanent control of the
State, and the only way they have
ever looked upon as fitted to serve
that end is by manipulation of the
election machinery. For quarter
of century, holding on to power by
means of any and every advantage
which the election apparatus gave
them was their constant trade, and
they knew and cared for no other
political art. The extra session out
rage of last year showed for them no
sweet uses. They flew in the face of
the honest sentiment of the commun-
ity with entire cheerfulness, feeling
sure that they would carry the cleo
tion by the devices they had adopted,
and could then afford to laugh at
that or any other sentiment. 1t turn
ed out that they did not carry the
State, though by means of scandal
GUS tricks employed just where they
would do the most good they were
enabled to count in a majority of
both branches of the Legislature, and
send the Honorable Arthur Pue Cor
man back to the United States Sen
ate. They have sense enough to
know that the people will not tolerate
another exhibition of trick ballots
and fraudulent methods of counting.
SO they are trying to increase the
efficacy of the automatically disfran-
chising features of the law.
1t is melancholy to see such an ig-
noble striving after unfair advantage
absorbing the attention of the men
who stand for the party that ought
to represent, but does not represent,
the intelligence and patriotism of the
State of Maryland. If these people
were at all sincere in their desire to
put the franchise on a higher level of
Intelligence, instead of being mere
seekers after partisan and personal
advantage, they would go about the
matter as has been done in other
States where educational qualifica-
lions have been honestly enacted.
They would propose constitutional
amendment, the operation of which
would not effect present voters, but
would make illiterates ineligible to
the suffrage after a certain date.
with the exception of those who have
been in the enjoyment of that privi-
lege. With this stimulus to educa-
ton, and with proper school facilities
the level of intelligence in our citizen
ship would be raised, both for voting
purposes. But with law designed
to nullify Constitutional right, and
with both parties straining every
nerve at each election to nullify that
law by what is farcially called the
education" of the voters, no benefi-
cial effect can be attained.
Of course, however, arguments bas-
ed on public considerations are thown
away on blind partisan plotters.
What might be expected to have in
huence upon them is the experience
through which they have already
gone in this election law business.
There was not a man in all the won
drous wise politicians who engineered
the extra-session plot that thought it
possible the Democratic party would
have such tussle to get through as
it did last fall. The law was a boom
erang. With the Republicans census
frauds to help them, they lost the
city of Baltimore by decided major
ity, and had to exhaust their resour-
ces of chicanery in order to save their
control of the Legislature. If thew
had stood up for manly fight under
a fair election law, they would have
had most excellent chance for win
ming, and would have given the par
ty the standing to which it is so nat
urally entitled in this State. The
very best thing they could do now is
to wipe out some of the bad impress
sion then left upon the people. But
that is not the kind of tactics they
understand; they seem bent upon do