The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-02-17

by loading it with constitutional amend
ments that would completely bewilder
a considerable portion of the voters and
would cause even the intelligent voter
to make errors that would jeopardize
his vote.
In every first-class community in the
country, with the exception of Mary
land, the short-ballot movement is be-
ing fostered. The design is to have a
ballot of convenient size " 18th few names
to vote and no eXtraneous matter. Here
in Maryland the Democratic ring re-
CARDS as its salvation the fouling of the
polls with their malordorous devices in
tended to make it impossible to secure
a straight, clean expression of the pub
lie will The decent citizenship of the
state resents the continued plotting of
the men whose capacity to enact bene-
| fetal legislation when in office is only
equal by their incapacity to distinguish
between creditable politics and the low
grade of Vaccination that is unworthy
of men claiming to have regard for the
rights, duties and dignities of citizen
ship.
A half dozen amendments to the Con-
stitution have already been tinkered or
ale in process of manufacture, and
others are likely to outcrop before the
close of the session. The device of null
tiplying proposals for the consideration
of the voter and of making a ballot al
ready the most unwieldy in the country
even more preposterous, indicates that
the Democrats regard their chances of
winning upon their record, unsupported
by devious devices, exceedingly slender.
The prospect of another suffrage
amendment has not been passed over.
Even in the last DAYS there may be
sprung upon the people the travesty of
constitutional DISTINGUISHING amend
ment. Let 1t be said again, as has been
said in warning time and again by The
American, expressing as it does the SEN
timents common to all circles of society,
that the end of the process of insulting
the Constitution of the state by the
proposal of amendments, made not in
the interest of the state, but for the
duplicitous purpose of party, will
meet with the repulse from power of
the party following such course.
The people of Maryland have been
able to get along very carbohydrates
the Constitution as it is, with an occa-
sional amendment dictated by necessity.
They believe they will be as cared for
in the future without an outbreak of
amendment that would AXE the ballot
look as if it had case of black measles.
They understand very we'll that the
men who are solicitous about amending
the Constitution are the same who are
incapable of passing effective legislation
for the benefit Of the state. They fully
appreciate the inconsistency of the posi-
ii n of the constitutional lawyers who
Autter about the Democratic loft in pro-
posing changes in the organic law while
at the same time the Democratic leaders
are engaged in bringing the political
rights of the people into disgrace by any
pretext they can hit upon.
At present it appears to be toss mp
what kind of device will be next hit
upon for carrying elections. One hun
dred thousand registered voters counted
out at the last election will have to be
accounted for in the reckoning next
time, for the people will require the
deed of pertidy to be answered for. In
that number were many of the same
political persuasion as the Democratic
wreckers, and the persons have sailed
wounds that refuse to heal under the
salve of unctuous cajolery. If the at
tempt shall be made to have the intoler-
able campaign plots still more pernici-
Gus, then the issue is not difficult to
forecast.
What the Democratic leaders are
looking for is cover from the glare of
publicity, something under which the
trick work of elections can be done with
such an air of candor and frankness, of
benignancy and openness as to lead the
voters to believe that the campaign has
been carried on under high minded in
fluences. This is a bit difficult, because
the people cannot be fooled all the time;
in fact, they are never fooled by the
devices of the Democrats. So the old
laundering way of going into battle
with boomerangs will be observed The
DAYS of Democratic biunderbussing are
not over. The present trend, as reflect
ed in the counsels of the Democratic
leaders and in the manipulations they
foolshly believe to have the fine Italian
quality, disclose the prospect for a
repetition of familiar tactics. Balti-
more American.