The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1906-03-08

til the year 1901 was reached when
the eXtra-session law was placed
on the books. At the first cleo
ton held under its provisions TO-
+ 600 votes were thrown out. As
Stunning that 10000 was a fair
number to fail to take advantage
of the franchise right, abont 49,
900 remain unaccounted for. Ap-
plying the same system, Mr. Reyn-
Odds found that the number grew
to $4,000 i'll 1908, aud reached its
zenith in 1905, when JOG, 900 lost
their right to vote or to have their
votes counted after they had been
cast.
In the meantime Democratic
majorlties have divided rather
than increased, so Mr.. Reynolds
wondered which party was suffer
ing the most. The total register
ed colored vote in Maryland is
about $1,000. Mr.. Reynolds
thought he was putting the num-
Der low when estimated that halt
Of them could vote in such IMAM
ner that no technical defects could
be found in their ballots. About
$1,000 rejected ballots remain, and
they represent the votes of white
people. He then referred to the
Constitutional provision that every
man more than 2I years old, not
DISTINGUISHED for a criminal offense,
was entitled to cast his ballot. He
said:
There is such a thing as the
Constitutional oath of the Legisla-
tor, by which he swears to uphold
its provisions. l assume this oath
means something. The least of
its obligations, it seems to me, is
not TO permit to remain on the
statute books law that violates
its provisions.
II have heard the answer to this.
The defenders of the present law
say this is white mans govern
ment. The negro has no political
rights which the white man is
bound to respect. Men who would
rather cut off their right hands
than forge a note or cheat at cards
insist upon taking this view of the
situation. Assuming they are
justified, what are you going to do
about the $4,000 or more white
men who have lost their votes since
this law was passed?
what good has it done the
Democrats? Before it was passed
they used to have a majority of 40
in the House Of Delegates. Now
they have Majority ofone. They
are i'll the position of the fellow
who sold himself to the devil for
a promissory note upon which it
was impossible to collect"
In order to Controvert the asser-
ton that the law had improved
the intellectual level of those en-
Joying the franchise right, Mr..
Reynolds told a story on Mr.. John
+. Semmes, president of the Re-
form League, to whom it occurred
after leaving the booth in one of
the recent elections that his ticket
might not have been marked as
required: He communicated his
NOODlo " ~ w lllld1u II. WelCl,
and together they carried their I'M
easiness to the Attorney General,
who very promptly informed them
that the judges of elections would
certainly discard their ballots un-
less they violated their oath of
office.
Mr.. Reynolds recollection goes
back SO years-over the times of
the Democrats rowdies, the Know
Nothings, bayonet rule and police
rule-but never in all that period,
he said, was there such dissatisfac-
ton as now exists with any cleo.
ton law. Never was the dissatis-
faction less than the period from
1896 to 1901, when the Reform
League law was on the books.
Since the results are so unsat-
isfactory,' he said, lit is time to
ChanOa tho ,Db1cio;o,, W.