The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1906-03-08
FAIR BALLOT DEMANDED.
New Election Bill Urged by Reform
League.

with the hearing granted by the
respective committees Ofthe House
and Senate to members of the Re-
form League, who urged favorable
consideration of the bill returning
to the election law of 1906, with
one change, allowing voters dis
abled by physical disabilities to
receive assistance i'll marking their
ballots: Advocating this bill were
Messrs. John Hinkley, Charles
Morris Howard, Leigh Bonsal and
William Reynolds.
1t was evident that the Demo-
cratic members of the committees
were not favorably impressed with
the idea of going back to the EN-
blem, uniform ballots and fair
elections, but the speakers plainly
intimated that any legislation of
a remedial nature could not but
help to improve existing condition.
Almost all of them were forced to
undergo a fire of questions.
Each reviewed the outrages that
had been committed under the
variety of election laws as thew
exist today, paying special atten-
ton to the iniquities of the Wilson
bill as it is manipulated in some
of the Southern Maryland and
Eastern Shore counties, and asked
that the laws be 50 amended as to
be uniform for the State
The first speaker was Mr.. Hink-
ley, who made a strong argument
for change i'll the law AS he
concluded his address reference
was made to the outrages commit
ted under the Wilson law, and
Southern Maryland was mention
ed. Mr.. Roberts of Prince Georges
demurred, evidently losing sight
of the Charles county case His
attention was called in the circum-
stance by Mr.. Bonsal, who added
that one of the wealthiest citizens
in that county had lost his vote
because he was unable to mark
his ballot in the time required.
Referring to previous remark of
Mr.. Hinkley's, Senator Brewing
ton asked.
"You say, Mr.. Hinkley, the law
was passed for purpose, intimat-
ing that the object was to 1egalize
tricks. Is the Wilson law so very
different from the one now in force
in Massachusetts,.
"No," replied Mr.. Hinkley,
mot in many respects; but the
law should be uniform for the en-
tire State, not one county working
under one election law and one
under another"
THE Massachusetts law" re-
piled Senator Brewington, "was
admittedly passed to disfranchise
white men-Democrats while the
Wilson law is to disfranchise ne
groes."
THE Massachusetts law" said
Mr.. Howard, was adopted III a
manner very different from the one
by which the Wilson law was
passed. There a Constitutional
convention was held and the peo-
pie had chance to vote on the
question"
Is the law Of Massachusetts so
Unfair, asked Mr.. Palro, "as to
prevent a Democrat from being
elected Governor of the State when
the people made up their minds
they wanted him?"
1T seems not, replied Mr..
Howard.
isn't it the same for all part
of the State?" asked Mr.. Pairo.
eyes" replied Mr.. Howard,
maryland is the only State I
know of that has a different law
for different localities"
Soon after Mr.. Reynolds took
the floor it developed that he was
a venerable statistical bureau on all
matters pertaining to votes regis
tered, cast and counted, and the
figures as he gave them varied
from a few thousand under the