Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1909-09-18
Mr.. STANFORD
UPHOLDS BALLOT
Says Black Line Is Not Only
Legal, But Is Right And
Proper To Use.
In a communication to The Baltimol


statement from me of the so-called Will
son ballot laws, with special attention
to the legality Of the use Of the black
lines, as heretofore printed on the bal
lots in the Wilson law counties, would
state (speaking from my knowledge of
the use of such lines in Somerset and
other similarly conditioned counties of
our State, and with necessary brevity
within the limited time of your request,
with some regard for other demands
upon mel, that the lawfulness of such
use of such lines cannot, in my opinion.
be successfully or reasonably questioned
or attacked such use. as understand
the nature of your request consisting so
far as the form and arrangement of the
ballot are concerned, in the printing Of
black belt at the top, and another
at the bottom of every group of candi-
dates on the thereby separating
each group for particular office, the
one from the other.
"On this point would speak literally
after and from the unmistakable and
mandatory language of the law itself.
Section 81 of the election law, applicable
to the Wilson law counties, among other
provisions, clearly requires that All
ballots shall be printed upon plain white
printing paper of ordinary book weight.
in black ink and Section 55 of the same
law and likewise applicable, with equal
clearness. requires that the names of
candidates Except for electors) shall be
arranged under the designation of the
office above the group of names of the
candidates for each Office, and further
requires that a direction to the voter as
to the number he may vote for in each
group shall be printed upon separate
line, and also requires that the names
of all candidates for Office shall, as far
as possible, be placed in one column,
but where there are over 36, then
another column shall be added.
''The quoted portions of the sections
referred to should, as appears to me,
convey to any intelligent mind the abso-
lutte requirement of the law to be and
mean that black line shall be placed at
the top Of each group of candidates in
each column, and, necessarily, when so
placed, at the bottom of the preceding
group, in order to form "a separate line
for printing the direction to the voter
as to the number of candidates he may
vote for in any given group; accord
ingly, an omission TO print on the ballot
the so-called black lines, as SO re-
quired, would be violation of the laws
mandate.
aside from and without regard to
the express requirements of the law
quoted above, am sure every practical
and experienced printer will agree and
admit that the form used in printing the
so-called black lines, as stated, merely
conforms to customary and usual
method in general printing and in any
event can show that precisely SINH
lar form of ballot, with heavily loaded
black lines at top and bottom of groups,
as used in this State, has also been used
and probably is still used in Massachu-
sets Ia Republican State), from whose
ballot laws our election laws in this
State were chiefly drafted and make
this offer inasmuch as I have in my
possession, and have had for nearly five
years. a copy of the official ballot
for use in Massachusetts at the election
in 1904, the identical year of the passage
of the Wilson law in Maryland.
"Now, l am well aware that Repub-
licans charge, in each recurring cam
paign, that Democratic Supervisors
make an unfair use of the black lines
in question, required under the law to
be so printed on the ballot as have
stated, in that they allege that the names
of Democratic candidates are placed in
the most advantageous position, next
or nearest one or another Of these So
called black lines, and ! daresay that.
when arranging the form of the ballot,
as required by law. and so finding a
place or places of advantage. they
naturally give their party candidates
the preference wherein is found the
chief Republican complaint (; but am
confident no citizen, until the millennium
arrives, would expect otherwise under
the same circumstances.
"It must not be forgotten that the
Wilson law is applicable to counties
where the negro vote numerically
dominates the destinies of the Repub-
lican party, and that by combining with
comparatively small number of white
members of that party could. under a
ballot made easy Of making by illiterate
negroes. dominate the political destinies
Of those counties. Furthermore, in its