The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1904-04-09
The Legislature Of 1904.

The acts and omissions of the General As
sembly of 1904 have passed into history. Like
all other Legislatures it passed many good
bills and some that should not have been
passed. The good acts, we believe, will far
outweigh those of doubtful propriety.
The result of the work of the Legislature,
as touching taxation and debt, is the creation
of loan of 81, 625, 900, and an increase in the
State tax rate of one cent on the $4,000 to
meet interest on the loan and to provide a
sinking fund for its redemption. part of
this loan is due to the disastrous FIRE in Balti
more. Two hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars of the amount was for the relief of distress
in that city, $4,000 to pay the militia for
guard duty, $40, 900 to Johns Hopkins Hos
pital and about $175, 900 to rebuild the Mary
land Institute. The balance of the loan is for
the completion of improvements to State
buildings at Annapolis, enlargement of the
House of Correction, additional buildings at
Springfield State Hospital and for certain ed
ucational institutions.
The general educational bill, making a
minimum salary for public school teachers,
appropriation for pensions to teachers, and
other appropriations for the cause of public
education, adds four and half cents to the
State tax, making the total tax 224 cents on
the $4,000, as against II cents for the past
two or three years, or total increase of FIVE
and half cents. The chief provisions of the
general education law will be found on the
fourth page of this issue.
Among the other good acts of the Legisa-
ture is the proposed amendment to the Con-
stitution, known as the Poe amendment, and
designed to eliminate the ignorant negro vote
from the electorate. 1t provides, in addition
to a years residence in the State, six months
in county or Baltimore city, and that voters
shall be twenty one years of age, that persons
who can read any section of the Constitution
of this State submitted by registrars of voters
and give reasonable explanation, or if unable
to read such section, frem physical disability,
able to understand and give reasonable ex-
PLANTATION thereof when read TO them by the
registration officers. This is the educational
qualification, and applies only to negro voters,
for the amendment provides that any person
can register who was voter on the FIRST of
January, 1869, or prior thereto, in this State
or any other State, or lineal descendants Of
such persons. The negro was enfranchised
in 1870, and voted that year for the first time,
and therefore the educational qualification
applies only to that race.
To further decrease the negro vote in the
counties where that vote is heavy, official bal
lots in those counties viii not have the party
designation printed after the names of candi-
dates.
Under the provisions of the registration Law
there was to have been an entire new registra-
ton of voters throughout the State, this year,
but an act was passed at the recent session post
pouing the matter until 1905. and providing for
biennial registration in Baltimore instead of
annual, as heretofore.
Spring elections for municipal officers IN
Baltimore have been abolished.
The Hannah oyster bill was passed. In
another column will be Sand some Of its
provisions. The Shoemaker good roads bill
was also passed.
Two bills to enable the Wabash Railroad to
erect bridges over the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal and to facilitate construction of teru.;-
mails in Baltimore have become laws.
These are the most important acts Of the
General Assembly Some Of the bills which
failed TO pass were the corrupt practices bill,
Jim crow" cars on electric railroads aud the
bill TO have three iudges of election instead Of
four. two of each party, as at present The
failure to pass these measures stands to the
credit Of the Legislature.
The amount of work done by the Legisla
ture is a record. breaker, when it i, considered
that about three weeks are usually required to
get the two houses in q position to begin work,
that the election Of United States Senator
interrupted work for about TWO weeks, and
the Baltimore Gre not only interfered with
work, but made additional work in the con
sideration of bills of that city