Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-01
MAY DEFEAT MEASURE
Opponents ofPoe Amendment
Are Hop sful.
MARYLAND CAMPAIGN
SOME PORTIONS OF STATE CAUSE
UNEASINESS.
Secretary Bonaparte Talks of the Stu
alton as Seen by Him at
This Time.

oppOUeHtS OF the roe dTenuIHeit view tlc
situation in Maryland today they are more
confident than ever that they Will be able
to defeat the measure that has been op-
posed, not only by the republican party of
the state, but by strong faction of the
democrats. They base this confidence upon
the fact that during the past week there
has been no break in their combined forces,
and because they believe that this city will
give such a majority against the amend
ment that. together with the vote of the
western and northern counties, 1t will be
more than sufficient to overcome any ma
jority that is likely to develop in southern
Maryland and on the eastern shore.
While this general feeling of confidence
that the amendment will be defeated exists,
southern Maryland and the peninsula are
the sources of great deal of uneasness.
In that section of the state the Wilson bal
lot law prevails, and under 1t there are still
possibilities of mixing up the votes that
make 1t impossible for those who are fol-
lowing the developments there most closely
to feel that they are not liable to be sur
priSed on the day of election.
These uncertainties are so great that
many of the leaders Year that a too hopeful
| feeling that the amendment will be defeated
may Jeopardize the success of their cam
palgn; @ 1 MhEe Secretary Bonaparte was
here to address mass meeting at the
Broadway Institute he voiced this senti-
ment when seen by your correspondent.
Il feel sure" said Mr.. Bonaparte that
so fully against the ratification of the
amendment that If there is fair count of
the votes it will be defeated But | cannot
be bf1nd to the dangers that face US in
southern Maryland and the eastern
shore. There the Wilson law is in effect.
and that makes it very difficult to get an
expression OF the sentiment of the people In
a way to satisfy US that the vote as finally
a
sentiment. The law itself reasonably in
terpreted. is bad enough. but the manipn..
iations that are possible under it make II
still worse.
Because Of the danger that NAV con front
us In those sections of the state. / feel that
1t rs our duty to beware of overconfidence
ana 10 spare no pains to see that the peo-
pie OF Baltimore are fully alive to the nossi
bilty OF having this city vote the amend
ment down and yet to have 1t ratified 1t
is possible that overconfidence may be our
undoing. We want to be alive to the neces-
sity Of using every effort to have an honest
election, and we want so large a ma ioritv
In Baltimore that corrupt methods that
may be used in the lower counties may
nor change the result"
Show No Misgivings.
The democratic managers. If they have
any misgfvjngs as to the outcome of the
election, are not communicating them to
any one. Chairman Vandiver expresses
confidence that the amendment will be car
ried and claims that the democratic oppo-
sition to 1t will be more than overcome
by the republican votes in its favor He
claims that there will be a considerable
republican vote for the amendment not
only in the lower portion of the state, but
also in Baltimore.
But it is not the democratic claims that
are troubling the opponents of the Poe
amendment. 1t is what is being done with
the ballots in some of the counties that
Is creating alarm. In Somerset, Kent and
st. Mary's counties the boards OF election
supervisors have done exactly what At. or
ney General Bryan has declared they could
not legally do. They have reversed the or
der in which the lines for the amendment
and against the amendment" should ap-
pear on the ballots. Throughout those coun-
ties the voters who cannot read have been
instructed by sample ballots to mark the
second line beneath the amendments Af-
ter having been SO instructed, and after
the attorney general of the state has given
his opinion that no other order of arrang-
ing the ballot would be legal. this action re-
versing the order of the voting spaces has
been taken. There may be some legal pro-
ceeding by which this action of the super
viSors may be defeated, but as election day
draws near the possibility OF keeping the
proceedings connected with the election
straight by resort to the courts seems
less and less practicable.
The fact that the supervisors of the cleo
ton are the appointees of Gov. Warheld
has given great deal OF confidence on the
part of republican county leaders ,..at
there would be no action taken by these
supervisors contrary to the recommended
tions of the attorney general of the state
They have been alive to the possibilities of
many manipulationS in forming the ballot
that might tend TO confuse voters but they
have very generally believed that so far
as the acts of the supervisors are con-
cerned. they would not be contrary to the
attorney generals recommendations. If
the opinion of the attorney general is ig-
nored in respect to the order in which the
lines for voting on the amendment are
placed, and II that action is allowed to
stand. they are at a loss as to what they
may expect from the supervisors
The official ballots have not yet been
printed, and during the next couple of
days there will be opportunities to con-
fuse the ballots. Candidates may with
draw from the contest, and in their places
other names may be inserted, and these
new names may be so similar to names of
other candidates as to add to the confu-
sion of the voters when they come to picx
them out.
Amendment the First Thing.
AS the election draws near there Is less
and less thought given to the vote Oh can
didates, except those who are on the legis-
lative ticket. It is well understood among
republican leaders that the amendment is
the first thing OF receive attention, and
looked after. But the republican state
committee is not giving instruction to
county committees to the manner In
which they shall conduct their campaign
In respect to simplifying the task of the
voters by having them mark only the
amendments. In all the counties in the
lower part Of the state schools of instruc-
tion are being held. and 1t is expected that
by election day those who have charge OF
these schools will be able to advise voters
as to whether they should attempt to mark
the ballots beyond voting against the
amendments. 1t is expected there will be
uniform practice in advising voters to
mark ballots according to the ability they
have shown in the schools of instruction.
Those who are able ON the day before the
election to correctly mark the entire ballot
will be advised to do so when they vote.
Others who have difficulty in picking out
fifteen names from lists Of from forty five
to sixty will be advised to confine their
efforts to marking the amendments alone
or the amendments and the legislative cam