Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-11-02
WHY MEADE SOLDIERS
LOST Their VOTE
Senator Smith Answers Inquiry
From Chairman TAFT
COMBINATION GIVEN BLAME
Says Few Democrats And The Repub-
lican Members Defeated Bill
At Special Session.

day gave out his reply 10 a letter re-
Gently received by him from Galen l..
TAFT, chairman of the Republican
State Central Committee, in which
Senator Smith points cut that the rea-
son the Maryland soldiers will not be
able to vote next Tuesday is because
a combination of a few Democrats
and the Republican members Of the
Legislature at the special session kill
ee the bill designed to give them the
right to vote.
Mr. Tait's letter to Senator Smith
was written on October 25, and is as
follows:
''The press states that permission
has been granted the Maryland sol
diers at Camp Meade to return TO
their homes to vote on next election
day. but that this order will not be
extended to the soldiers summoned to
appear within ten days of election.
The press further states that a large
number of Maryland soldiers, princi-
pally colored, have been summoned
to appear at the camp within this ten
days period.
The War Department will not de-
sire to discriminate between one class
cf soldiers and another / am, there
fore. requesting that you use your
great influence with the Department
to secure a modification of this report
ed rule. in order that all the soldiers
cf Maryland, without regard to race
or politics, shall be permitted to vote
on election day
While all are supporting the Presi-
Gent at this time, there are important
state issues upon which voters will
differ Whether Baltimore City shall
lie allowed to extend her boundaries;
whether home rule for the counties
shall be authorized; whether a pro-
gram of business administration for
the State, free of politics and deficits,
shall be encouraged. It would be un-
fortunate If the public of Maryland
should get the idea that the War De-
partment was an innocent party to the
imposition Of rules by which one
class of Maryland soldiers would be
Permitted and another class be denied
the right to vote, and thus affect the
result of the Maryland election
II ask, therefore, in the interest of
fair play for the voters of Maryland,
that you as senior Senator for Mary
land, and in securing from the War
Department the modification of this
order'
Senator Smiths Reply.
Senator Smiths letter follows:
Mr. Galen L. TAFT, Chairman Repub-
lican State Central Committee,
Calvert Building, Baltimore, Nd
My Dear Sir:-Owing to my alb
senee from washington and on ac-
count of sickness your letter of Octo-
ber rs was unduly delayed in reach
ing me. / note your request that
use my influence to secure the release
of all Maryland soldiers from Camp
Meade to vote. understand the War
Department is unalterably opposed
for military reasons TO allowing any
Maryland soldiers leave in order to
SO home to vote, and that no effort to
secure their release can be made
effective
1t is extraordinary unfortunate that
the combination Of few Democrats
and the Republican membership in
the General Assembly of Maryland
beat the bill at the extra session de-
signed to give these young patriots
the privilege and right Of voting
wherever they might be. / always
regretted most sincerely that this
measure Of simple justice was treated
in an unfair and partisan way
Very respectfully,
JOHN WALTER SMITH