The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1930-07-24
RITCHIE CALLS SPECIAL
SESSION OF LEGISLATURE
Purpose To Change Registration
Dates To Accommodate Jewish
Citizens-BOdy to Meet 10Th

A proclamation calling the General
Assembly of Maryland into extraordi-
nary session, July 20, to amend the
! dates for registration was issued yes
terday by Governor Richie.
The Governor acted after more than
weeks investigation of situation
created by the conflict of the registra-
ton dates with two of the most i'm
portant religious holidays of the Jew
ish faith.
The Governor said he has taken the
proper steps to assure himself that
the legislators will limit themselves
to the one subject and that it can and
will meet, pass the necessary law and
adjourn in one day. - 9
Only the Senators, members of the
House and the necessary desk officials
will attend the session. Doorkeepers
and numerous other paid attaches who
swell the numbers focking to Annapo-
lis for regular sessions will not be
needed for the one-day session, it was
said.
Decides on Amendment
After consideration of the terms of
the law in the case, the Governor ex-
planned he has found two or three al
ternatives, but believes the best course
to follow would be an amendment of
the existing law, providing for the
substitution this year of new registra-
ton days for September % and "a and
October 7 and 8, which are set by
, statute. The former two coincide
with the observance of Rosh Hashana,
and the latter dates are the same as
the Feast of Tabernacles.
Pointing out that the State should
not permit any large group of its peo-
pie to be disfranchised by circumstan-
ces wholly exceptional and unforeseen
and beyond their control, as is the
case in the coincidence of the registra-
ton dates with the days sacred to the
Jewish people, the Governor declared
he has not acted because of any great
demand or pressure from any source.
Has Studied Situation
at is simply that I recognize an ex-
! listing situation, have taken the time
necessary to examine and appraise it
calmly and carefully, and am con-
WINGED that fairness and justice to the
people affected require a remedy
which only the Legislature can give" =
he said.
= In the matter of combining the ac-
ton of the Senate and House of Dele
gates to the one subject, the Cover
nor has the cooperation of Senator
Philip Lee Goldsborough and Galen l..
TAFT, chairman of the Republican
State Central Committee.
Would Limit Action
While they pointed out that the
legal responsibility of deciding wheth-
err a sepcial session should be called
rested with the Governor, they added
that, if the session were convened,
they would use their best offices with
members of their party to curb any
further action than the authorization
of the registration change, if the Gov
ernor would do likewise.
The statement was made by Senator
Goldsborough and Mr.. TAFT with the
qualification that they were without
authority to commit the Republican
members of the Legislative bodies.
Statement of Governor
The statement issued by Governor
Richie in connection with his procla-
nation and the announcement that the
Legislature would be given the neces-
sary study and consideration before
it convenes, follows in part:
According to reliable estimates
there are from $4,000 to 10000 voting
Jews in Baltimore, and of these it is
estimated that 10000 or more are
Orthodox. The others are Reformed.
"On the first registration day, Sep
TENDER %, no Jew, Orthodox or Re-
formed, would be permitted to regis
ter by the tenets of his faith. On the
three remaining registration days,
September "a, October Z and October
8, the Reformed Jew could register.
The Orthodox Jews, however, could
not register at any time on any of
these days except between dark and
10 o'clock p. M, standard time, on
September "a and October 8.
Time to Register Too Short
"This would give the Orthodox Jews
about three hours on each of these 2
nights in which to register, or about
six hours in all. Under the most
favorable conditions not more than
twenty persons can be registered an
hour in any precinct, so that in six
hours 100 persons would be the maxi
mum. There are a great many pre-
cincts in Baltimore in which several
hundred voting Orthodox Jews reside,
and it is perfectly obvious hat six
hours are nowhere near enough to