The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-09-22
THE POWER OF REGISTRARS.

There has been a disposition on the
part of the opponents of the Disfran-
chisement Amendment to prejud ce
the minds Of the psople against it on
the assumption that the registrars will
use the power given to them by the
amendment in an unfair and partisan
manner The most unkind and bitter
things have been said and charged
against these election officials, who.
strange to- say, have not yet teen APP
pointed, and will not be until next
year. In fact, this as well as all the
other criticisms If the amendment,
are purely theoretical and are trumpet
up in the minds of those who are
working for its defeat, TO confuse the
public and make them think that the
registrars Of voters in the State of
Maryland are set Of unprotected
rascals and that the party which advo-
Gates the amendment will use it to
punish white Republicans as well as
their negro allies.
This is as far from right as it is I'M
just and unkind. The Democratic
parry has all the time fought the Re-
publcans with their own weapons and
has done nothing in u political way
to secure an advantage that their enc
mics have not done and would not do.
if they had the chance. The honors in
this matter are even, and if any bal
ance is on the Democratic ledger, it is
because the people of the State have
chosen this party TO manage its affairs,
because il represents the best elements
in the State electorate aud has given
good account of itself in the conduct
of the State government The Repub-
lican stock in trade IN recent years
has been the cry Of "trickery'' and
fraud" and SO used to 1t have the
people become that little attention is
paid to it. They know that it is only
scheme by which the Republicans
hope to get in so that they can have
a chance to manipulate the party ma
chinery, have the advantage of party
appointments and the selection of tue
Election Supervisors, etc., etc. They
had charge in 1895, when Lowndes
was elected on wave of reform in the
State, and SO well did they use the
power in their hands that the people
smote them "hip and thigh in 1899, md
gave triumphant majority for John
Walter Smith, the Democratic nomi-
nee. 1t is the only Governor the Re-
publicans have had since the war and
it is the only one that they are likely
to have under the present conditions.
The agitation of the negro question
was also large factor in the defeat Of
the Republican party. Negro rowdy-
ism in Baltimore City and throughout
the State on account of the fancied
security that Republican success gave
them, resulted in singing febuke to
the Republican managers and strong
reversal of the verdict given four years
previous. The people won't stand for
such a condition of affairs, aud so
record themselves when the time
comes. Knowing these things and
seeing how the Gland lay" for them, the
Republican leaders have started out to
say all kinds of things against the
amendment, which was framed for
the sole purpose of preventing the con-
ditions which existed during the
Lowndes administration and to return
to the white people of the State the
franchise rights they enjoyed before
the adoption of the Fourteenth and
Fifteenth Amendments.
The argument against the power of
the registrars is rather fiimsy and full
of flaws. Nearly all those who oppose
the amendment base their actions
upon this theory. 1t is not our pur-
pose to go into the argument now, but
rather 10 present to our readers very
strong editorial that recently appeared
in the AdrOcdte, published in West
minister, which paper, by the way, is
a mighty force in forming and keep
ing up sentiment for the amendment
1t started out early to support the
party issue and has been most success
fully keeping it up. The editor of the
AdUocdte says, in speaking of the power
of the registrars:
Before registration was required as
prerequisite TO possessing the right to
vote, the privilege of voting was de-
cided by the Judges of Election on
election day, and usually with excited
minds in the midst of partisan zeal.
The person whose right to vote was
challenged was subjected to considera-
BILE trouble to prove his age, or his res.
idence in the election district, or
time of domicile in the county or
district. Many men will recollect that
where man had his clothes washed
was determining factor in fixing the
place of residence. Hot disputes arose
and occasionally personal encounters
resulted over the question of mans
right to vote. Under that system of
voting men were some times unjustly
deprived of their votes and some times
persons not entitled TO cast ballot
were allowed to do so. And there was
much injustice and fraud resulting
when there was property qualitica-
ton for voters. The same purse or the
car Il yaA