The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1912-03-21
DOINCS At ANNAPOLIS,
THE SEAT Or GOVERNMENT
Women Of Loeb Lynn May Be Given
the Franchise.

y N-A>
women of the State shall not vote, al
lease for some time, an effort if being
made to extend the franchise to the
ladies of a certain section of Garrett
county. A bill introduced on Friday
last by Delegate Weimer, of Garrett
county, while plain, commonplace anC
will, if passed by the Legislature, ex,
tend to the ladies of portion of Gar.
rett county the right and privilege tc
vote. And the bill goes even further
than this. Not only will they be entitled
t. vote, but they may vote by proxy.
That is If they do not care to go to the
polls. they may delegate the power to
their husbands to do so for them. The
bill is an amendment to the charter of
the town of Loeb Lynn Heights, and
makes three notable innovations in the
government of that thriving and enter
prising town. First, the election for
town officers Mayor. Clerk, Treasurer,
Tax Collector and Chief Bailiff-is to
be held on the first Monday in March of
each year, except in 1912, when the
election this year will be held on the
first Monday in May. and these officers
elected in May of 1912, shall serve until
the first Monday in March, 1913, when
another election will be held to fill said
offices, and the first Monday in March
annually thereafter, the term of all
officers to be for one year, or until the ir
successors are elected and qualified;
and at the said annual. elections they
shall also elect two Councilmen to serve
for three years, and two Councilmen
who shall be elected in May, 1912, and
who shall serve until the first Monday
in March, 1915, the term of the present
holdover Councilmen, B. L. Hardesty
and Levi Hewitt, shall expire on the
first Monday in March. 1913, and T. B.
DOMAIN and L. W. Ream the first Mon
day March, 1914. The Mayor and Coun-
Gil are to appoint election judges and
clerks, designate a place for holding
said elections and give ten days notice.
The second innovation is that OF Civ
ing a vote "to all persons (this includes
women as well as mem who own proper
ty in said Loeb Lynn Heights, and are
of the age of q years and upwards,
and who have resided within the cor
porate limits of said town for six months
Immediately preceding any election for
officers, and who are assessed with said
property and paying taxes thereon. "
And the same section provides another
remarkable feature, that of giving the
women the right of vote by proxy. The
amendment stipulates that ANY married
woman qualified to vote in said town as
aforesaid, may delegate such right in
writing to her husband, and such hus.
band shall be entitled to cast said vote
instead of his wife upon presentation to
the Judges of Election said writing,
however, that said husband is not quail
fed and does not vote at said election in
his own right" In other words, the
law permits one of them-either the
husband or the wife-to vote, but not
both of them but if the female voter be
unmarried OF widow she shall vote
herself and cannot delegate her right
by proxy to vote.
The third extension of the rights and
powers of the Mayor and City Council
men of the town of Loeb Lynn Heights,
authorizes the said Mavor and Council,
and gives them the power, ''to pass all
such ordinances as necessary to regu-
late animals running at large in said
town, by impounding said animal, and
if the owner thereof is known, to i'm
pose fine on said owner for allowing OF
permitting said animal or animals tC
run at large; and if the the owner OF
owners thereof is not known, or being
known, refuses to pay said fine, then to
sell said animal or animals at public
auction, after reasonable notice, " etc.
This bill has attracted considerable
interest in the House by those who have
become familiar with its provisions,
with special reference to the section
giving to women the right to vote, and
of married women the right to delegate
that right to her husband 1t is not
certain that the bill will pass, as it has
not received the endorsement of the
entire Garrett county delegation. The
bill, after it was introduced by Delegate
Weimer, was referred to the Garrett
Delegation, and until Messrs. Lawton
and Long have considered the matter,
togetherwith Delegate Weimer and Sen
ator Spelcher, the fate of the PROPOSE.
ton will be unknown. Although intro.
duced by Delegate Weimer, that gentle.
man was not sufficiently familiar with
the bill to discuss it or to determine
what his attitude on it will be, and he
will wait until the whole representation
from Garrett county have discussed il
and outlined plan Of action. Woman
suffrage in any guise is not popular al
this session of the Legislature, anC
while the bill may eventually receive
the endorsement of the Garrett dele