Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1911-10-20
TRICK BALLOTS AND
CHAIRMAN vANDI YER
Republican Leader Asks Pertinent
Question Of Democratic Chief.

other papers in the State.
Mr. John B. Hanna, Chairman of the
Republican State Central Committee, is
alleged to have said in an interview
published in the Baltimore papers Of
Wednesday, that If the Election Super
visors in what are known as the Wilson
Ballot Law Counties try to arrange the
ballots so that they will be difficult 70
vote, that prosecutions will be institut-
ed against the supervisors in the United
States Courts, basing his threats on
decision of Judge Morris in what is
known as the Annapolis case, which
case is about as near to the Wilson
Ballot Law as the moon is to green
cheese. The ANNAPOLIS case was one
where, in acting under State statutes,
the registers of voters refused t. register
Annapolis negroes. This statute alter
wards was decided by Judge Morris to
be in conflict with the Federal statutes
aud has been S, held by cour.s when
ever Questioned.
Mr.. Hanna's threat is bunc ombe Of the
rankest kind and is Intimidation pure
and simple.
MURRAY VASpIvKR,
Chairman Democratic Central Com
mittee. Times Crescent.
MR.. HANNA'S REJOiNDER.
John b. Hanna. chairman of the Re
publican State Central Committee, to-
day publicly called upon Chairman
Murray vsndiver, of the Democratic
State Central Committee, to State
whether he means to encourage the use
of trick ballots in the Wilson Law
counties Of the state. In an advertise
ment printed elsewhere, Mr.. Hanna
quotes an advertisement which appeared
in the Calvert Journal of October I,
last, and which has appeared in other
weekly newspapers in the Wilson Law
counties and which bears Chairman
vandiver's signature.
In reply to the advertisements Mr.
Hanna asks General Vandiver whether
he means to encourage the use Of trick
ballots and that if not what does he
mean.
Further, Mr.. Hanna asks whether
Chairman vandiver has forgotten that
two Democratic superv sors and the
printer who did their work are now I'M
der Indictment for preparing and caus-
ing to be used trick ballots in Char.es
County.
The question is pertinent one, which
Mr.. Hanna says he expects Chairman
yandiyer to answer.-Baltimore Star,
Oct. nth
IDLE THREAT is 1T?
WHAT MR.. HILL SAYS.
United States District Attorney John
Philip Hill recently announced that the
Charles County supervisors would be
tried on December 4, before Judge Rose.
The specific charge is violation of
section 10, 20 and 81 of the Penal Code.
Messrs. Marbury, Bryan and Poe, who
are defending the accused, together with
Mr.. John NJ. Dulany, the printer who
printed TIE ballots. demurred to the
Indictment but were overruled and the
case will now be tried on its merits.
Should there be a conviction and it is
then decided to take an appeal, the case
may be taken to the Supreme Court of
the United States. The government is
represented By Mr.. Edgar II. Cans,
District Attorney Hill and Assistant
District Attorney McI.anahan.
The case is of particular interest just
now in view Of the recent primary cleo
ton frauds. The opinion sustaining
MIR. Hnl's indictments has brought an
other menace to would-be crooked
politicians ia the coming state election.
Not only will the state laws protect the /.
peoples ballot this all, but those of
the United States will safeguard it,
also.
In discussing the case of the Charles
County officials Mr.. Hill said:
sour theory of the law has been sus-
tanned by Judges Rose and Morris in /,
their opinion on the defendants de-
murrer. The case was argued at length
before them and the defendants counsel
exhausted every possible tecnnicality in
attempting to invalidate the indictments
They commended that the law did not
cuyer these cases, and when the court, |
in dismissing the demurrer, held that it
did, the people won a big victory for !
honest elections.
When asked what his attitude toward |
tE:ckery in the coming state elections
would be, Mr.. Hill said offenders would
be prosecuted to the limit of the law.
1.-THE decision Of the court on the de-
murrer is clear and full, and gives me
full swing to carry out the prosecution
Of crookedness" he said. Il believe
that il through trickery or fraud Ameri-
can citizens are deprived of their votes
in the coming election it will be my
duty to at once bring the matter to the
attention Of the I, deral Grand Jury.
Such trickery as that which is the
subject of prosecution in the Charles
County election strikes at the very root
Of representative government"
And then Mr.. Hill gave utterance to
his condemnation Of the Wilson Law