Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1911-08-11
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.

The Capital is now publishing the
Constitutional Amendments passed al
the last session of the Legislature, tc
be ratified or rejected at the polls in
November next. One is "a proposed
addition to the first or franchise ar.
ticle Of the Constitution. II limits
the right to vote at State and munich.
pal elections to two classes of citizens.
First Every male white citizen
possessing the qualifications of age
and residence, and not disqualifi I'd by
conviction for infamous crime or brib-
cry.
Second Every other male citizen
not disqualified by said conviction,
possessing the publications. of age and
residence. who is the owner of prop
erty assessed at not less than $500
and upon which taxes have been paid
for the previous two years.
1t is further required in the propos-
ed amendment that there shall be a
uniform ballot throughout the State,
with the party name after the name of
each candidate. equal representation
d Of the minority party among judges
and clerks of election. and officers of
registration. and that elections be con
Quoted by the Australian system, these
things not to be changed by the Legis-
lature, except by the vote of four
fifths of all the members of each
house. This amendment would not
apply to Congressional elections, but
only to the election of State and NUM-
cipal officials. One object of the
amendment was to do away with Will
son ballot laws, all of which il repeats.
But careful provision is made for the
revival of all laws repealed by the
amendment should il be ratified, in
case any person other than those in
the two classes shall become legally
entitled to vote. The meaning of
this is that in case the Federal courts
should decide that this amendment is
void because of conflict with the Fed
eral Constitution, or for any other
cause. then the Wilson ballot laws and
other laws repealed shall revive and
the present status be restored.
The other two proposed amendments
which are advertised to be submitted
at the November election are designed
to increase representation of Balti-
more city in the General Assembly.
The first Of these provides that, in adj
dition to the one Senator from each
of the four legislative districts, there
shall be elected two Senators from the
city at large, increasing the city's re-
presentation in the Senate from four
to six.
The second Of these amendments
provides that each of the four legisla-
tive districts of the city shall have
Zone delegate for each one-sixth of
the population of the largest county in
the State" The largest county is
Baltimore county, with a population
of 100. 500, one-sixth of which is co.
400. The population of the city is
55S, ASS. and by that rule the city
would have twenty-seven delegates, or
three more than it has now. But it is
provided in the amendment that the
representation of the city in the
lower house shall never be less than
thirty-fve, nor exceed one-third of the
membership of the House. If this
amendment should be ratified, the city
will have forty-one votes in the Legis-
lature and the same number in the
State conventions. This would be
thirteen more than it now has, or as
many as the city and three average
counties combined now have.