The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-10-19
THE DUTY OF REPUBLICANS.

THE DUTY OF REPUBLICANS.
Very rarely has q more serious cri-
sis arisen in the political affairs Of
Maryland than that which confronts
her people today. For nearly thirty
years Democratic antiDathy to Re
publicans gave unlimited control of
the State and many of the county
governments to a Democratic ring.
which ruled its party with an iron
hand; prostituted the ballot by the
commission of every conceivable
manner of fraud in registration and
false counting; made merchandise of
legislation and laughed with derision
at all efforts to dethrone it. This is
not hyperboIe, but solid, uncontro-
verified fact. At last, however, an
honest and outraged element of the
Democratic party revOlted against
the bosses, whose cup of iniquity was
Overlooking, and in 1895 these indie
pendent Democrats made their power
felt by uniting with the Republicans
and electing Lloyd Lowndes COVER
nor, with Republican House of Del
egates to back him in efforts to re-
form the State governmental and purify
the ballot. The result of that action
need not be recited in detail. Every
body knows that the legislature
which followed that election gave to
the people of Maryland Tie first fair
election known in the State for thirty
years. But the reptile of corruption
was only scotched, not killed. and the
HYDRA headed monster, after few
years of suppression, came back into
power with its faculty for the sub
version of the ballot box undi-
unfinished. The new lease of power
followed the fairest promises of good
behavior, but it had schemed to some
purpose, and no sooner were the reins
of government again in its grasp than
it began to revive methods of fraud
to secure the defeat of its opponents.
The election law of 1896 was amended
and re-enacted with such vicious pro-
visions as led to the introduction of
trick ballots and the appointment of
election officials ready to perpetrate
frauds and to defeat the will of the
people wherever such a course was
necessary to secure success.
The Independent Democratic ele-
ment again grew FESTIVE under these
exhibitions of wrong doing and ty-
rannY on the part of the ring and
then a new scheme was devised to
neutralize and destroy the effect of
independent influence. That scheme
is the Poe amendment to the Consti-
tuition of the State. The leaders of
the ring believe that the adoption of
this measure will make it strong en-
ough to maintain itself against the
combined efforts of the Republicans
and Independent Democrats to dis
lodge it. 1t may be that in the ex-
pectation it is mistaken, but whether
that be so or not, the defeat of the
effort is demanded bv every consider
alton OF justice, the amendment be-
ing of such a character as to lodge
unlimited power in officers of registra-
tration to disfranchise every citizen
who, himself, or whose father or
grandfather, was not voter before
1863 This one feature. if it held no
other Of an Objectionable character,
is so reprehensible as to call for the
opposition of every lover of Justice
and fairplay, and many thousands of
Democrats are earnestly arrayed
against il.
AS these democrats have, on several
previous occasions, come to the rescue
of an imperiled State and by their
votes have aided the Republicans in
making much needed reforms, there
should be nothing oflukewarmness in
the zeal with which Republicans Join
them in the fight against the oppres-
sion OF the ring as exhibited in the
pending amendment. The duty of
every true Republican in the State is
to resist the ring scheme with might
and enthusiasm. Let there be no lag
ging or indifference in this resistance.
To save the state from subsection to
the power of political ollgarchy it
becomes the duty Of every Republican
not only to vote but to work from this
time until the election, with ali his
energy, against this Poe amendment.