The National tribune., 1909-10-07
AN OUTRAGEOUS PROPOSITION.

| The voters of Maryland are deeply
stirred over what seems justly de'
nounced as the most infamous PROPOSE
tion ever offered to disfranchise the
voters of the State, and lodge the poll
teal power permanently in the controi
of a little ring A constitutional amend
ment is to be voted on at the coming
election, which is worse in many es-
lsential respects than any vote-suppress-
ing provision in the Southern states
The amendment, as embodied in the
Proclamation of the Governor, PROVIDES
that all elections shall be by ballot
with every male citizen of the age OF
| 81 years and upwards who has been a
resident of the State for two years or
of the County for one year next pre-
ceding the election, shall be entitled
to vote upon being duly registered.
The conditions for registration are thus
stated:
Every male citizen of the United
States having the above-prescribed
qualifications of age and residence snail
| be entitled to be registered so as to
become qualified voter if he be, first,
4 a
uary, 1869, or prior thereto. was en-
titled to vote under the laws of this
State, or of any other State of the
United States wherein he then resided; /;
or, second, a male descendant ot such
| aforementioned person; or, third, fOr-
eign-born citizen of the United States
Inaturalized between the 1st day of Jan
uary, 1869, and the date of the adop-
ton of this section of this article; or,
fourth, a male descendant of such last
mentioned person; or, fifth, person
who in the presence of the officers OF
registration, shall, in his own handwrit-
ing, with pen and ink. without any aid,
suggestion or memorandum whatsoever
and without any question or direction
addressed to him by any o. the officers
of registration, make application to reg
lister correctly, stating in such app:ica-
ton his name, age. date and place OF
birth, residence and occupation at the
| time and for the two years next preced-
| ing, the name or names of his employer
or employers, if any, at the time and
for the two years next preceding. and
whether he has previously voted, and,
if so. the State. County or city and dis
tr1ct or precinct in which he voted last,
and also the name in full of the Prcsi-
dent of the United States, of one of the
Justices of the Supreme Court ot the
United States. of the Governor Of Mary
idlu, OF one OF the Judges OF Ine court
of Appeals of Maryland and of the
Mayor of Baltimore City. If The appii-
cant resides in Baltimore City. or of
one of the County Commissioners of
the County in which the applicant re-
sides; and any person who is unable to
comply with the aforegoing require
ments as to making application fo-' reg
istration in his own handwriting, sole
iy because he is physically disabled
from so doing; or, sixth, q person, or
the husband Of a person, who at the
time of his application for registration.
is bona fide owner of real or personal
property in an amount of not less than
books of the city of Baltimore or of
one of the Counties of this State has
been such owner and so assessed for
two years next preceding his applica-
tion for registration, shall have paid
and shall produce receipts for the taxes
on said property for said two years. and
shall at the time of his application
make affidavit before the officers of
registration that he is, or that he is
the husband of the person who is the
bona fide owner of the property so as
seSsed TO him or to her, as the case
may be, and that he or she has been
such owner for two years next preccd-
ing his application"
Highly Objectionable as the restric-
tive clauses in this are, the tricks that