Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-28
DEMOCRATS TO AID
c. VOTERS BILL
Speaker Lee OF Maryland
House Issues Statement
Favoring Measure.
By a STAFF Correspondent. Of The star.

BY stan correspondent or The Star.
SILVER SPRING, Md, January 2S.--
Democratic organization in various
sections Of Maryland are planning to
support the Republican measure, intro
duced in the Senate by Senator Will
liam A. Gunther Of Allegany County,
to repeal the declaration Of intention
act, which requires that every new
resident. desiring to vote, must file his
declaration Of intention to become q
citizen Of the State one year before a
general election. It Is claimed that the
law prevents q number OF residents
each year from voting. as they do not
know. the requirement until they ap-
pear for registration.
The Republicans have made o bien-
NAL fight for the measure, but this is
the first time that there has been any
indication Of Democratic support, and
e. Brooke Lee, Silver Spring, Speaker
Of the House Of Delegates, has issued a
formal statement setting forth the at
t1tude OF the Democratic organization
OF Montgomery County.
Registration Of Voters.
Speaker Lee pointed out that his
county Is the section Of Maryland where
the largest proportionate registration Of
new voters takes place every campaign.
Approximately 5000 new voters regis
tered In each OF the last two cam.
paigns, according to Mai. Lee.
We are willing to give UP whatever
advantage may accrue to the Demo-
cratic party In Montgomery County
through the declaration Of intentions
law" said Maj. Lee, FOR the following
reasons:
I'm national elections q new citizen
moving into Maryland from any State
or from the city of washington should
be presumed to have as much general
information on the national political
situation as has the average Mary
lander. Consequently, there appears 10
be no fair argument for the retention
OF the declaration Of intentions law to
restrict registration and voting In ma
tional elections.
II still believe the theory Of the
declarations Of intentions law in re.
curing probation period IN which
new citizen Is expected to acquire local
governmental information before the
new citizen can participate In q state,
county or Baltimore city election Is
sound.
Difficulty for Citizen.
"A citizen from any other state can
Jaw CuCCc0oAuAAy Clutul my COklS10SH9ClC
knowledge Of the problems Of any coun.
ty Of Maryland or Of Baltimore City.
A new citizen does not appear to have
any equitable basis to support the claim
OF an inherent or automatic right to
cast vote in the first local election In
particular county or IN Baltimore
City. A probationary period, In which
the new citizen becomes partially IA
n1iliar with the existing problems seems
fair and wise safeguard.
I'm actual practice the Republican
party throughout Maryland makes use
Of the existing declaration Of intention
law to attack the Democratic, party for
keeping on the statute books what the
Republicans argue Is an unsound and
oppressive restriction on the . right to
vote. This argument is politically
strong.
"The repeal of the law seems to be
both reasonably fair and wise and !
proposed to support its repeal, with q
tightening UP Of the requirement for
a years continual residence to register
and vote.
"It may be necessary to require q
police census, In thickiy populated
counties IL months before each election
so that the voting lists may not be
| packed. Inclusion Of unregistered cit
:zens In the police census would be
accepted as prirna facia evidence OF
residence for purposes OF registration. "