Evening star., 1922-10-15
MARYLAND VOTERS
IN CARELESS MOOD
Only Half of Baltimore Citi-
zehs Register for Fall
Election.
MORE TELL PARTY CHOICE
Democrat Plurality Over G. 0. P.
for Entire State, SO, ,856;
Women Total 63,671.

BALTIMORE, October IL With
vening before the election, political
leaders of both parties today are
puzzled to account for the apathy re-
ported from all parts of the state in
regard to national and state candi-
dates. While more or less lack of
interest seems prevalent throughout
the land. Maryland politics almost
approach staGnation. So deep. in
deed, is this "dont-care" attitude
that the registration in Baltimore,
which closed this week. barely
equaled one half of the total voting
strength of the city as revealed by
the last police census.
When the registration closed only
194,4S9. citizens had taken the trouble
to go to the booths to register. while
the police census shows there are
3S4.000 persons eligible to vote. The
registration last autumn .totaled
261 900. more than $1,000 in excess of
this years registration. Something
of the turn political matters may
be expected to take is indicated in
the registration. The democrats will
go into the election with an apparent
plurality of 1886, as compared with
1928 last year. The number of voters
who declined to profess any party
allegiance last year was larger than
the apparent democratic plurality this
year, but this year it Is considerably
less.
Democrat Plurality, 33,S56.
The whole registration shows far
less doubt in the minds of the voters
than last fall. They may. of course.
break party lines when it comes to
the actual election. but they are
much more candid this year in pro-
Tossing their party affiliations. This
year only 16.402 citizens refused to
name their party-about s per cent
of the total who registered. Last
year 32,124 were on the books as hav-
cent of the total electorate. And the
democrats seem to be far stronger
than last fall. All together. 105.97S
of those who will vote next month
admit allegiance to the democratic
party. while the republicans come
Gratis a plurality of 1856. In other
words, SIS per cent of those who reg
istered this fall declared themselves
democrats and 81 per cent republi-
cans.
The women's registration was
iIShtSi III Piopoit " lotdi
| than last year. This year 63,671 reg
istered, about 33 per cent of the
whole, as against a registration of
104 ,653 women last year, or about 40
per cent. The republican party this
fall has a larger proportion of women
than the democrats. The women di-
vided as follows: Democrats, 32,839;
republicans, 1882; declined, 4,S40.
The women constitute 26 per cent of
the total republican strength and 81
per cent of the democrats OF those
who preferred to remain outside of
party bounds 81 per cent were women.
Colored Voters, 25,9O2.
The registration divides along racial
lines into 1885 white voters and
25,9O2 colored. OF the white vote,
1l4440 are men and .53,S56 women:
while the black split 1857 men and
9,815 women.
Notwithstanding this general apathy
two parties besides the old line par
ties entered the political field this
week with the fling of papers with
the Secretary of State OF the socialist
and labor candidates. Both of these
parties filed candidates for the United
States senatorship. Rev. James l.
Smiley. an Episcopal clergyman of
Annapolis, is the standardbearer of
the socialist party, while Robert E.
Long of Baltimore heads the tick ct
for the labor party. Neither party
has a congressional candidate in the
first district. comprising the eastern