The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-09-28
Mr.. URNER ON THE ELECTION LAW.


In his speech of acceptance Mr. Hammond
Urner, the nominee for Attorney General, had
the following to say on the same subject:
1--WE denounce our present election system,
as modified by the extra session and Wilson
laws, because its operation makes the exercise
of the right of suffrage difficult for most, and
impossible for many, of orr citizens.
lin 1905 there were 287, 343 citizens of Mary
land who were registered as voters and entitled
to participate in the general election OF that
wear. Only 1S6,381 of these voters succeeded
In having their votes counted, while 100, 962
failed to. be recognized in the election. After
the enactment of the election law of 1896 and
prior to the extra session OF 1901 the vote ac-
iually counted at our general elections was
only IL per cent. short of the registered vote.
Since the extra session the average shortage in
State elections has been % per cent. This
curtailment of the franchise has affected all
parties and all sections alike. 1t has made no
distinction as to race or color. One OF our
counties, with practically solid white popu-
lation, has sustained an average loss OF 80 per
cent. of its vote. In Baltimore city. the loss
has averaged % per cent, and at the last gen.
eral election nearly onethird of the registered
vote of the city was not counted. These re.
suits demonstrate the fact that it is not par
tisan but q popular grievance OF which we
complain and which we propose to redress.
I'VE urge a speedy return, through the cleo
to the essential principle of the election law OF
1895, with its distinct requirement that the in.
tention of the voter shall be ascertained and
gratified. That just and vital principle was
studiously eliminated from the law in the
course of its mutilation at the extra session
The act of 1896 provided that 'iffor any reason
it is impossible to determine the voters choice
for any Office to be filled, his ballot shall moi
be counted for such office The act of 1901
struck out all reference to the determination oil
the voters choice and declared that if there
shall be any mark on the ballot other than the
cross-mark in square opposite to the name OF
a candidate, his ballot shall not be counted.
1t was because the act of 1901 manifested thus
its disposition to disregard the intention of the
voter that the Court of Appeals felt constrained
to hold that the purpose of the act was to COM
pei the rejection OF every ballot as an entirety
on which cross-mark for one office extended
more than AN infnitesimal distance, visible
in ordinary light, but scarcely measurable,
beyond the line OF the square.
at is evident to every intelligent mind that
the main purpose of the act of 1896 was to pro-
tect and promote as far as possible the exer-
else of the right of suffrage, and that this pur-
pose has been deliberately frustrated by the
legislation of the extra session. 1t was asserted
at the time by the promoters of the act of 1901
that it was iustifabe as means OF preventing
bribery. No one has since pretended that the
evils of bribery have been affected by the act
in the remOtest degree. Everyone, however,
has admitted since the first election held un-
der the act that has wrought indiscrimiDate
havoc among the masses of our voters. Yet
the Democratic leaders have persistenly re-
Trained from making or proposing any modi-
tication of the election laws to avoid theinjury
thus inflicted. On the contrary, they have
further emphasized by their enactment of the
Wilson law in 1904 their intention to deal with
our election system as possible means of &C.
quiring party advantage. Under that act, in its
present form, nine of the counties of the State
are deprived of party designations on the bal
lots provided for the elections within their
borders, while this aid to the voter remains eff
fective in the other IA counties and in Balti-
more city. 1t cannot be denied or doubted that
the Wilson law was devised and enacted for
the very purpose of subjecting the voters of the
counties to which it applies to special disad-
vantages and difficulties in their efforts to avail
themselves Of the right of suffrage.
1--WE do not claim for ourselves or for our
party monopoly of the intelligence or patriot
ism of the State, but we assert with conviction
that under present conditions the Republican
party is the only effective fundamentally
available to the people to accomplish the re-
forms which they desire and demand"