Evening star., 1945-02-22
Vote Restriction
Repeal Urged al
Joint Heariinq
Proposal to Scrop
Maryland Declaration
Act Wins Booking
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
ANNAPOLIS, Md, Feb. 22.-Mem-
bers of the Senate and House Elec-
tions Committee considered today
the arguments for and against the
question of repeating the State
Declaration of Intentions Act.
About 26 representative of in
dustrial, citizens, professional and
voters organizations attended joint
hearing yesterday on the bill which
would repeal the present law max
ing 1t mandatory for a person from
another State to declare his inten-
tions of becoming citizen of Mary
land at least one year before he is
permitted to vote.
A sharp query by Senate President
Lindsay whether CIO supporters OF
the bill were interested in the
voters or in voting the voters
highlighted the hearing.
Senator Lindsay posed his ques-
tion after Sidney Katz, executive
secretary of the District
of Columbia Industrial Union Coun-
Gil. urged repeal of the law, claim
ing that it was being used as a
political tool.
Mr.. Katz said one of the reasons
the law was promulgated was that
"intrenched politicians fear that an
enlarged electorate will upset their
political position"
Bun,;lI;a f;or - S+a.n
Describing the statute as "the
biggest humiliation that ever hap
pened in Maryland" Mr.. Katz said
that county officials, prior to the
1914 elections, used to bring down
election books and register voters in
Dundalk. They did not do that
in 1914. he asserted. because they
were afraid that Roosevelt would
be elected"
Then Mr.. Lindsay asked:
Was 1t the people who wanted to
vote, or was it you who wanted to
vote the people?"
Most Of those who attended the
hearing urged passage of the re-
pealer, claiming that:
l. The present law is archaic and
has outived its usefulness;
2. Retention of the law was being
upheld by politicians who sought to
protect their constituencies by keep
ing down the number of voters;
3. That it imposed hardships on
voters IN counties where newcomers
had to travel long distances to reg
ister at county seats.
Prince Georges Is Example.
One of those presenting the lat
ter argument was Mrs. Joseph
Hershman, representing the Mary
land League of Women Voters, who
said that situation existed partic-
ularly in Prince Georges County.
I. Duke Avnet, representing the
National Lawyers Guild, declared:
There is no reason to. continue
such law on our books unless the
legislators are afraid of the people.
If they are afraid, then the law
does not go far enough. If they
are not, then all bars such as this
should be removed.
1T is a blot on the records of our
State"
Delegate Pumphrey of Prince
Georges interrupted Mr.. Avnet to
note the possibility of fraud at the
polls, stating that the more sacred
the right, the more it is to be safe
guarded"
He said that the original purpose
of the law was to safeguard the
voters from Prince Georges and
Montgomery Counties from voting
poachers" that would come into the
counties from the District.
DR.. c. I. Winslow. political science
instructor at Goucher College and
representative of a citizens COM
nittee, called attention to the
proximity of Virginia to Washington
and said Virginia has not seen fit
to follow our procedure"
Wrong Way to Prevent Fraud.
'1f you are trying to protect
against fraud at the polls" he
added, that is not the way to do
1t. I could declare my intentions
a year ahead of time or I could
vote a dead mans name. The only
way to rid the polls of fraud is a
decent registration system rigidly
applied
Meanwhile, three State police bills
extending Supt. Beverly Ober's pow
ers over the force went before Gov.
O'Conor for his signature.
The bills, which passed the Sem
ate yesterday during a turbulent
session, would enlarge the superin-
tendents hiring, demotion and pro-
motion powers at the expense of the
State merit system.
The Senate also passed measure
allowing extension Of 'nonproflt hos
pital service plans" to include medi-
cal and dental care, and a joint
resolution recommending pardons
for men paroled from penal institu-
tions for service in the armed forces
after they receive honorable Army
discharges, and moved to the final
passage stage the first of the home
rule" bills to emerge from commit
tee.
Other measures passed by the
Senate were those which would give
the blind right of way at intersec-
tions, lower from IS to so the re-
tirement age for State employees and
make the earnings of merchant mar
iners up to $500 untaxable under
the State income tax law.
William Omar Grant