Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1920-09-02
STATEMENT BY GOVERNOR
In CALLING SPECIAL SESSION

Governor Ritchie's statement call
ing an extra session of the Legisla-
ture, in part, is as follows:
~ have decided TO call the Legis-
lature in special session. and wish TO
state my reasons for taking a step so
important to the people of Maryland.
There is no doubt that the present
time for registration is so short that,
even on the most conservative basis,
thousands OF Maryland women would
be disfranchised for lack OF time in
which to register. This can be dem
onstrated. and will be in a moment
Assuming It for the present, the ur-
gent need for relief is clear, and no
relief is possible except through an
extra session OF the Legislature.
Two objections have been raised to
this.
"First-The cost But the cost OF
the war session of 1917. running over
16 days, was only $4,000 There is
no sound reason why an extra session
now should last more than very few
days, so that the cost should be con-
siderably less II would, / am sure,
be cheerfully assumed by the people
Of the State for the purpose OF pre-
venting the Acknowledgement of thous-
ands of women entitled to register and
vote.
"Second-It is said that various
matters not pertinent TO the call might
be forced upon the Legislature for
partisan, political, or other special
reasons, and that these might con
sumo time and expense, and bring
about undesirable results.
Against Expediency
81 do not know how well grounded
some of these apprehensions may be.
/ hope they have no reality, and l do
not believe they will have any. ] be-
lieve that the sober judgment OF the
members of the Legislature will not
permit them to have reality. No one
can prophecy as to this with certainty.
but we can, with certainty, say that
these objections all relate 10 questions
of political expediency. No question
of political expediency should ever be
allowed to outbalance that which is
inherently right
at is inherently right that the wo-
men OF Maryland should be given a
full and fair opportunity to register,
and there is only one way to give it to
ihem. | am unwilling to deprive them
of that right merely because of the
possibility that unrelated, partisan or
political issues may be raised 1t is
infinitely better to run the chance of
those issues and, if they come. meet
them as they should be met, rather
inan. for fear of them, fail to take the
necessary steps to assure women the
exercise of the rights which now are
theirs.
81 shall. therefore. convene the Leg
islature in special session. to meet at
Annapolis on September 20, 1920, for
the purpose of considering measures
necessary 10 facilitate the registration
of the women of Maryland and the
casting of full vote on election day
"The formal call will be issued
promptly; the necessary legislation
prepared in advance and made public;
and. as far as my influence can pre-
vent. no legislation of a partisan
political. or other character, not fairly
related to the subject of the call, shall
he considered, no matter from what
party il may emanate.
cit will now be shown that thous-
dnds OF women will necessarily be dis
franchised unless relief is offered
through an extra session.
I'm the counties there are two reg
istration days OF IL hours each. or %
hours in all. If one woman were reg
istered every five minutes. then the
total number registered in the two
days in each precinct would be 264.
This is on the assumption of no delay
whatever, with every women ready
and awaiting her turn, and with the
officials having nothing to do but reg
lister women. that is, no men to regis
ter and no transfers to be made out.
Question OF Transfers
Even if we assume that every wo-
man would be awaiting her turn
(Which in the counties could not pos
Sibly be the easel. still there are men
10 be registered and transfers to he
issued in every county precinct. II is
most conservative to say that this
would decrease the number OF county
women who could be registered under
the above circumstances to $50 in each
precinct.
II have secured the present regis
tered male vote in every precinct in
all the counties of the State There
are several thousand more women in
the State than men. and at least as
many women in each precinct as men.
1t is, therefore, true that at the very
least as many women are entitled to
register in each precinct as there are
men register I'd.
H ~ "