Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-31
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star
BALTIMORE. October 3O-The cam
paign closed tonight with a democratic
mass meeting at City Hall plaza. The
meeting was preceded by a torchlight
parade from the Eutaw House to the
plaza in which there were less than SOC
men in line. In the first automobile were
Chairman Vandiver former Gov War
field and City Chairman John Hannibal.
Not cheer greeted those big guns DUR
ing the ride OF ten blocks. and only when
the stand on the plaza was reached was
there any demonstration. The applause
was so stinted that Warfield. who pre-
sided at the meeting, had a rather woe
BECOME look on his countenance. for War
field as governor had grown used to hear
ing tumultuous applause when he ap-
peared I'm public. AS one of his closest
personal and political friends remarked
to The Star correspondent, He seemed
to realize for the first time that he had
made a mistake in supporting the amend
ment."
Defeat Of Amendment Expected.
Among men who make a study of Do
litical affairs there Is not a question of
uouDl tie amendment Will De 0e-
feated. Conservative estimates place the
majority against the Straus measure at
from 10000 to 1900.
Estimates made by the chairmen Of the
two parties in each of the counties and
baltimore city show that the democrats
claim $3.50 majority for the amendment
and the republicans 81 1877 against it. The
republicans, however. claim a majority
OF 10000 In Baltimore, which seems TO be
too high According n raliQh lQ M
litical forecasters the city will hardly
give more than 10000 against the amend
ment. The reduced majority against the
amendment. they claim, will be due to
crooked work in the preparation Of bal.
lots I'm the Wilson law counties.
Preparation Of Ballots.
In only a few instances were the mi
nority members Of boards consulted when
the ballots were made up. notwithsta nd
ing the decision of the attorney general,
and those so offending kept their col
leagues in Ignorance Of the kind Of bal
lot the voters would have to face.
A sample ballot which has been adopted
in Somerset county. received here. carries
light lines under the names OF the demo-
cratic candidates and these are the only
lines on the ballot. 1t is twenty-seven
inches long and sixteen inches wide,
the boxes being thirteen inches from the
ldUltS, the intervening space 'Delnk X,
except where the light lines lead to the
democratic squares To make certain of
the democratic candidates they are sepa-
rated from the republican, prohibition and
fake candidates by a space. SO there can
be no mistake. All other names are mixed
up.
Charles county has supplied the prize
ballot. 1t is known as the nightgown.'
being five feet long an dabout thirty
inches wide. The candidates names are
rod TN.
on the Somerset ballot, but in every case
there are from two to three more boxes
in which to make an ''X" mark than
there are candidates.
Gov. Crothers Accused.
To The Star correspondent Chairman
Hanna of the republican state committee
said tonight: 'Advices received by me
from the supervisors Of election In prac-
tically all the Wilson law counties are
to the effect that the instructions Of At
torney General Straus. which Gov. Croth-
erS promised sOlemnly to enforce, are
being absolutely ignored by the demo-
cratic members Of the boards of super
visOrs Of elections. 1t will be recalled
to which / refer directed not only that
black lines on the ballots are unlawful,
but he went further than that and also
pronounced IL to be unlawful to delegate
the preparation of the ballots to be used
on election day to any person other than
the members OF the boards themselves
He also laid down the doctrine that to
ignore the minority members Of the va
riOus boards was q breach Of the law.
punishable by removal from Office Of the
official or officials guilty Of such conduct.
lin forwarding that opinion to me Gov.
Crothers over his signature solemnly
pledged his personal and official honor TO
see that the dictum Of the attorney gen.
| f,,l1x fA1 b.
taken single step toward keeping that
solemn pledge / have yet to see any evil
dence Of 1t. Upon the contrary, the at
tOrney general has been defied in q
number of glaring instances without the
lawbreakers being rebuked by the chief
executive.
In Prince George County.
I'm Prince George country a number
of names were placed on the official bal
lot against the protest of Mr.. Chew, the
republican supervisor, despite the fact
that those names were giaring fakes.
He then attempted to have the ballot
printed in accordance with an agreement
made at a previous meeting, but was
overruled by vote of to 1. He next
demanded that he be permitted to ac-
company the other members of the board
to Baltimore when the order 10 print the
official ballots was given to the printers,
eral in support of his contention This
was also refused by the democratic SUI
pervisors. This happened October 70 and
| as yet have heard of no action upon
the part of the governor looking to the
| punishment of the officials who were
guilty OF this outrage. l repeat that not
| a single step has been taken by him.
| although the facts have been public prop
erty for several days and cannot have
escaped his notice IL he has time to read
| the newspapers.
Embroidered by the governors failure
| to call the supervisors in Prince George
| to account those Of st. Mary and Som
erset have gone even further, IL II is
possible to go any further.
| THE case of Somerset, st. Mary. Prince
| George and Dorchester counties show to
what desperate straits the ring is being
driven by the republicans and Independent
democrats. They are not only outra8in0
every principle OF decency and fair play
but they are openly violating the laws of
| their own making and fagrantly disre-