The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1903-10-02
.-FALR ELECTIONS" TO BE THEIR
SLOGAN.


SLOGAN
The Republican editors of Mary
land were entertained at luncheon,
given at the Carrollton Hotel, Balti-
more, on Saturday, and afterwards
received instructions as to the con-
duct of the campaign. They were
addressed by the three nominees on
the State ticket who urged upon
them to adopt as their slogan "fair
elections. This issue was not an
unexpected one as the Democratic
party has all along anticipated the
action of Saturdays meeting, and
feel fully prepared to meet the argu-
ments which may be expected from
now until November Sd. 1t is graft
flying that there will be nothing more
serious to encounter, for we think
that the sentiment of the better
element of the people of this State
favors the present law with some
slight amendments.
1t has been repeatedly shown that
the ballot can be voted by any one
who has sufficient intelligence to take
an interest in affairs of the State,
and certainly there should be no Oh
lection to excluding those who are so
densely ignorant as not to be able to
comply with the simple requirement
of being able to mark an intelligent
ticket when the whole list of names
is laid before them.
We have taken occasion several
times to show that this law has had
the most salutary effect in preventing
the successful sale of votes, and in
this particular seems to be as well
nigh perfect as the legislature could
possibly have framed. Recent Re-
publican contests show convincingly
that the party does not hesitate to
use immense sums of money in the
control of its own affairs, and there
fore it is reasonable to suppose that
the leaders will violently oppose
legislation that will block the same
means at the general election. The
feeling of the people ofMaryland has
undergone a radical change in the
past few years regarding several
public matters, and while there was
some question as to the expediency
of the law when it was first enacted
the party now, with one accord, en-
dorses its many excellent features.
No doubt the next legislature will
will pass some amendments regard
ing the construction of certain Sec
tions in reference to more clearly de-
filming the intent of the voter, but we
would much prefer to have this
framed by those who are friendly to
a higher order of things, than by a
party whose ranks are largely COM
posed of the mass of ignorancein the
State.
1t has been urged that the present
law has disfranchised many worthy
Democrats. If this be true we are
certainly unaware of the fact, and as
the information emanates from Re-
publican sources, we think that the
demand for a change by these Demo-
Gratis who are thus deprived of their
vote would receive more respectful
treatment in the hands oftheir friends
than in the hands ofthe enemy. One
of the recent arguments is that men,
bers of our party thus dlstranchlsed
will hereafter vote the Republican
ticket, an assertion rather absurd on
its face when it comes in almost the
same breath that asserts the dis
reimbursement.
The Democrats of Maryland stand
ready to defend the action of the
extra session of19O1, and the amend
ments of the law passed at the ses-
sion of 1902. 1t is a perfectly legiti-
mate issue and the action ofthe MEN,
bers of these two law-making assem-