Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1911-02-10
4 VICTORY FoR THE PEOPLE.

The verdict rendered by Jury Of
twelve good aud true men in ts
ease Of f@ac P. Horsey, one Of the
Election Supervisors Of Somerset
County against the Baltimore Aneri-
can last week Is signal victory fol
,he people and severe rsbuke to
crooked politicians.
The suit was Tor libel and arose As
the result Of the pub icaiion Of q
Communication OF Col. Thomas S.
Hodson, charging crooked work on
she part Of the majority Of the
Election Supervisors in Somerset
County. in the year 1908. the result
81 which large number d legal
voters sers deprived Of their right
Of franchise.
The American plead justification
ia The publication OF the letter and
gave the truth Of the matter in
evidence and the verdict Of the Jury
sustained its position.
The evidence brought out showed
conclusivsly the purpose Of the law
breakers that the opinion Of the
Attorney General in the proper
execution Of the Election law had
been violated, and their full scheme
10 disfranchise voters, and their oaths
Of office we're ruthlessly violated.
The drastic schemes resortsd 10
carry BY foul msans, which they
could not by fair, the election Of that
yeas was me-ciIessly laid bare and
vide opsn to t. public gnas. and
from il the whole people have
gathered an insight into the unlawful
practices which the voters in the
Wilson ballot law coustiss had to
tolerate.
In some Of the counties the unlsw-
fol practices were worse than in
others but bad in all. In Somerset
County they wsre bad enough bas in
this cosuty they were far more
thockingly deplorabIs. The ballot
used in the former county was not
Is large and in other respects less
complicated, and the Supervisors Of
Election were not as brazen ia their
rsgrstabls work but the result
accomplished the same.
The result Of the said suit against
the American apart from being an
object lesson is very gratifying to all
lovers Of good government.
Apart from being an evidence
that all our people are lest to every
sense Of decency and right; that
srookedness at elections are 1t cad,
the verdict in the case is 40 emphatic
endorsement, Of the freedom Of the
press. Without the right Of thu
press to szlos nefarious practices
in the ordinary affairs Of life rs well
as governmental. matters the psopls
would be helpless and Victims 10
many conceivable wrongs.
Purity Of elections is Rss party
matter. It is a principls underlying
good government and favored By ell
hones, men regardless Of party.
We do not understand that tile
many crooked; methods adopted l.
some II the Counties Of the State to
be a Democratic measure, because
men claiming membership in that
great orgsniz alton, have committed
the oifsnse' charged, bat the wrongs
psrpetratsd are the acts alone Of
xicked individuals to accomplish
personal ends regardless Of Law and
the faintsst degree Of self respect.
The sindication Of the American
in helping to expose tbs election
crimes Of 1909, and some other
exposures that have followed, aud
some others still soon to follow, in
the wake of that election, while q
heroic and painful dose, will, We
sincerely trust, serve as an etfsctual
zntidote to prevent any further such
degrading and unlawful practices.