Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-10
MaryIand's Attorney General
UpSets Democratic Plans.
BLACK LINES IN BALLOTS
Decision That They Are Illegal May
Lose Many Votes.
EFFECT IN WILSON COUNTIES
Significant Movement in Baltimore
With Defeat Of Constitutional
Amendment as the Object.
CORRESPONDENCE of The Star.

| SpecIal Correspondence of The Star.
| BALTIMORE. October 8. 1909
| The decision of Attorney General Stratus
that the use of black lines on the bal
! lots in the Wilson law counties was lille
gal has caused much uneasiness among
the big chiefs" at democratic headquar-
ters. Democratic leaders in the counties
thus affected do not hesitate to say that
| in each Of the Wilson counties 1t will cost
| them hundreds of votes, and probably
| lose them the doubtful counties. which
| they could carry by usine black lines as
| guides to the illiterates Of the democratic
| faith II the republicans we're Handicapped
| as at former elections.
The opinion Of the attorney general will
compel the election supervisors in some
| of the counties, to alter the form of the
| ballots which they had prepared with
black lines, copies of which they had Sc
cretly distributed for purposes Of instruc-
| ton. On these ballots the names of demo-
cratic candidates were arranged at the
| top Of each group and under the black
| lines. .
On the Dorchester county ballot. for in
| stance, the name Of j. Hooper Rosiey, the
democratic candidate for the state senate,
was directly under a black line. There
| was some talk among the county lead
| ers of ignoring the opinion of the attor-
| ney general by using tho black lines, as
| formerly. This talk. however. is not now
taken seriously, in view OF the fact tna az
| the attorney general to Chairman Hanna
| Of the republican state central committee.
Gov Crothers said he would see to 1t that
the law as Pre-
| opinion has the full effect Of law until re-
versed by the courts.
Leaders Not sanguine.
The democratic party leaders hailing
from the Wilson counties who have blown
| into town during the week are not very
| sanguine of the success of the disfran-
chisement amendment in their respective
| localities. They assert that the colored
| fIliterates have been instructed how to
| find the amendments on the ballots de-
| spite all efforts to mix 1t up between
| groups of candidates, and that they will
| know how to vote against 1t. These lead
ers also assert that the democratic litter
ates refuse to accept any instructions.
The supervisors of elections in this city
are having their troubles. From tnforma-
| ton received it seems that In a num-
Der of instances the registration officials
did not comply with all the provisions
of the law in preparing their suspect
| lists, and it is more than probable that
many will be thrown out. An investiga-
ton is now being made by the repuD-
lican committee, and several reports have
already been submitted showing that
'Imany were summoned to appear who
had never moved from where they had
i registered and are still living in the
/ same houses.
! One notable instance was disclosed
where an agent. who was employed to
investigate. found that of sixteen persons
placed on the suspect list by demo-
cratic registers. thirteen live in the
houses from which they are registered
and three had left the ward. In fact,
| some of the most prominent citizens In
| the eleventh ward-the slk-stOcking
ward-have been asked to prove that
| they are still residents. because the
police did not include them in their
| census.
Citizens Movement Significant.
! The most important development of
the week was the formation Of the
| Citizens Association Opposed to the
Amendment" and the decision Of that
body to open downtown headquarters
Monday next. At these headquarters
there will be two meetings daily. one at
| noon and the other at o'clock at night.
| The MONDAY meetings will be addressed
by prominent business men, who are in
| sympathy with the movement, the object
| being to give those engaged In mercan-
! tile and kindred pursuits an opportunity
to be instructed during the lunch hour:
| At these meetings especial attention will
| DC pdiu " tHc bioOoOlO cAeS@ uPoi. e,io
| business interests of Baltimore and the
balance of the state should the amend
| ment be adopted.
The evening meetings will be addressed
by lawyers of prominence, who will en-
| tighten their hearers upon the legal
1 points involved, matter of the greatest
| Importance, in view of the fact that the
I opponents of the amendment seriously
| dispute the right of the state to enact
1 such a measure, in the face OF what Is
| claimed to be a direct and fragrant viola
! ton of the provisions contained in the
! fourteenth and fifteenth amendments to
| the Constitution of the United States.
Effect Upon Foreign-Born Voters.
/ The effect upon the foreign-born citi-
; zens which the amendment will have, If
| adopted, will also be pointed out by
speakers of different nationalities. An
other important feature OF the move
ment will be the distribution from the
| headquarters of thousands Of pamphlets,
In which arguments against the amend
ment will be advanced and those made
by its sponsors refuted. The executive
committee of the Citizens Association is
composed Of the following prominent citi-
States Attorney General; Henry B. Will
cox, president of the First National
Bank: Robert Garrett, the banker; Theo-
dore Marburg, president Of the Municipal
Art Society; Blanchard Randall, presi-
dent OF the board of trade; Nicholas p.
Bond, Francis A. White. Henry F. Baker,
c. Wilbur Miller, Walter b. Brooks, o.
e. Weller, Jacob Epstein and John P.
! Hill. J. NJ D.