Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-12-02
POLITICAL TRICKS.
why Maryland Sends Split Delesa-
tior to Electoral College.

| why Maryland Sends Split Delesa-
tion to Electoral College.
Tammany, in its palmiest days Of irregu-
larities, could not begin to perform the
tricks Of political legcrdemain that are
pulled on in Maryland, where the contest
OF wits between the repu blicans and
democrats for supremacy never ceases.
| On points to-day the democrats are the
goods. For the second time now In sue
cessitn Maryland has given plurality
| for the republican candi late for President,
and yet has sent split delegation to the
electoral college, IN which the democrats
| predominant.
The solution OF this problem lies In the
making OF the ballot. This is an art which
the rura. politicians of the eastern shore
and southern Maryland have, by constant
practice and study, brought to high state
Of perfection. Before the Legislature had
devised the grandfather clause" these
practical students of election methods had
been working out schemes to have the
white mans vote counted and the black
mans cast out.
For election devices and trick ballots
these rural politicians have an especial
talent, and have their brethren in lie
cities "beaten to . fraxsle."
The bulwafk ID the Law which has
taken from the counties tho authority
to name the supervisors Of elections and
placed it for ths entire state In the haAes
OF the governor. A. consequence, under
Q democratic state administration, the
board in each county consists OF two
democrats and one rspublican Ths lattsf
il usually . negative quantity, and indssd
generally SERVES - an involuntary inetra-
mont by which his own party i fcoeed.
The meetings OF the county supervisors
OF election are held In Tie most iufeeual
ways. Somstimss H. two democrats Who
form The majority do not taxi ~ troabas
70 consult the minoFity member e III,
Oftsn whom they do they sahssqusntly
change ths form Of tie ballot tAat -
been agrssd upon and forgot b I'LL IL ~
pabiican supsrvisoe OF the change, Who,
mot until election day, Ands that IT, hal-
lot i rsarrsngsd in such WY - to eea-
plstsly befuddle ths negro voters.
One Of the sharpest tricks On record
was successfully worked in the dayS whom
party ballots, now discarded, weFs In -.
A cross-mark at the topaz right Of ssoA
emblem meant . vote for all the candi-
dates in that column. Lincoln's face In
profile was the republican emblem, and
the leaders in that party exhibited their,
sample ballot and told the negro votscs to
Le careful ON election day to place their
mark next to Lincoln's nose.
When election day rolled around and
discovered that in the oficial ballots the
Lincoln profile had been turned to the LEFT,
and Is the negroes, following instructions,
placed their marks where the nose pointed
squsreiy at the democratic emblem, their
ballots all counted for the democracy.
The marrow OF the whole struggle
between the two rival parties is the effort
on one hand to befuddle the negro voters
and the other to keep them from being
.befuddled. Whom, the republicans noti-
fed the negroes the word republican had
more letters than the word democrat and
instructed them to vote for the larger
word, the supervisors changed the party
designation opposite their candidate to
democratic" making it contain the same
number OF letters. Then they used all
sorts Of unfamiliar type in the ballots,
much Of it being very faint and almost
illegible. In Calvert country, where the
black vote predominates, no capitals were
used at ali, SO that this ballot really pre-
sented remarkable appearance and gave
no guide posts whatever to tho blacks, who
are more familiar with capitals than with
small letters. The type used in some OF
the ballots was actually painful to the
eye.
But besides trick ballots, stake" candi-
dates are often used. Some complainant
democrat is found who will be willing to
run on an independent republican ticket,
and the negro, who is told to put his mark
| wherever he sees the word republican,
to the learning Of which one word he de-
votes night after night, will vote for both,
and his ballot is accordingly thrown out.
At one election the republicans entered
into fusion movem mt with the indepen-
dents, and the democrats sprung an indie
pendent republican candidate. He, being
the only one having the word republican
opposite his name, received large num-
Der of negro votes.
In the recent election the difficulties OF
the republican voter were increased still
further by the ingenious method OF fold
ing the ballot. The democrat was warned
against unfolding the ballot. He was told
to merely turn over the first lap and make
his mark at the top. That was Easy. The
republican found it necessary to COM
pletely unfold the cumbersome ballot,
hunt for his candidates, and on the mar
row ledge IN the little booth mark them
without in the least mutilating the ballot.
Having accomplished this, he started to
fold the ballot again. But it required
| skilful and patient man to get the ballot
| back into its original folds and unless ha