The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-01-05
MARYLAND ELECTION LAW,

MARYLAND ELECTION LAW.
Representative Jackson of the first
Maryland district has decided to con-
test the election held last month as
the result of which his Democratic
opponent, Thomas A. Smith, claims
success. The grounds of the con test,
according to reports, are:
That the Democrats latest election
law, prepared and put through the
legislature by the German machine.
was passed for the purpoee of disfran-
chising voters of the Republican par
tywho were constitutionally qualified
to vote. He contends that the extra
session election law. and the act of
1904, amending that law, are both I'M
constitutional, in that they are con-
trary to the provisions of the state
constitution, and says that even if
these laws are not invalid, the election
officials, who were partisans of Smith,
abused the powers conferred on them
with the intent and to the extent of
unfairly and unlawfully preventing
the casting or the counting for Jack
son the ballots of upwards of two
thousand legally qualified and regis
tered voters. Mr. Jackson further
arraigns the Democratic election off
Gals, charging that the votes OF SS7
duly qualified registered voters, who
properly marked the ballots for him,
were not counted for him"
In taking this step Mr. Jackson 10
performing public service. The re-
cent Juggling with the suffrage in
Maryland has been outrageous. 1t
has had none other than a partisan
object, and it has forwarded none
other than partisan ends. The law
which Mr.. German and his friends
multilated was one of the best that
had ever been on the Maryland stat.
ute books. Under it, when properly
administered, the sentiment of the
people had been, and could at any
time be, fairly ascertained. The Dem
ocracy had scored repeatedly by it's
provisions and there was no reason
whatever for any change in it SO far
as square dealing at the polls was
concerned.
After the national election OF 1898
the Democratic bosses found them
selves discredited and shorn Of much
of their power in the state. The ma
chine had failed to throw the state to
Mr.. Bryan, and Lloyd Lowndes was
in Office at Annapolis. Thousands of
the best Democrats in Maryland had
voted for Mckinley, and were openly
rejoicing in the Republican national
success. AS these men were not to be
dragooned by the bosses, it was nee
essary if power was to be regained for
the bosses to manipulate the suffrage
in some way. Then followed under
the humbugging cry of purifying the
electorate, the schemes of disfran-
chisement and trick ballots, which
have brought the elections in Mary
land to their present disreputable
basis
Although the story has been told
several times, the country generally
is not familiar with it. As the next
Congress is to take up the subject of
the suffrage as affected by the high
jinks that have beencut with the cleo
tion laws in a number Of the states in
the name of an improved and intelli-
gent electorate, the work of Mr.. Cor
man and his friends in Maryland
should be presented in detail and in
all Of it's unblushing partisanship and
fairness. In some particulars 1t takes
the cake" as showing an unusual ca
pacity for borrowing the lingo and
forms of government to serve the
devil in. Washington Star