HERBERT R. O'CONOR, GOVERNOR. 1575

or the District of Columbia, or of the United States, or of any
other country directly or indirectly, by itself, or through any
officer, agent or employe, representative, or other person what-
soever, to give, contribute, furnish, lend or promise any money,
property, transportation, means or aid to any political party,
or any candidate for public office, or for nomination thereto,
or to any political organization, or to any political committee,
or to any treasurer or political agent, as herein defined, either
directly or indirectly, to aid, promote or influence the success
or defeat of any political party or principle, or of any measure
or proposition submitted to a vote at a public. election or pri-
mary election in this State, or to aid, promote or influence in
any manner the election or defeat of a candidate therein, or to
be used, applied or expended in any way whatever for political
purposes. The president, the several directors and every other
officer of any corporation which shall violate any of the provi-
sions of this section, and the president or director, or other
officer, or agent of any corporation, who shall personally violate
any of the provisions of this section, shall be deemed guilty of
a misdemeanor, and shall be punished by a fine of not more
than five thousand dollars for each offense, and imprisonment
for not more than three years in jail or in the penitentiary.

158. At any time within thirty days after any election or
primary election held under the laws of this State, any de-
feated candidate at such election, or any ten duly qualified
voters at such election, may present to the Circuit Court of
any county, or to the Superior Court of Baltimore City, a peti-
tion setting forth under oath that corrupt practices, contrary
to the provisions of any section of this Article, were committed
at or preliminary to such election, within the county or city
aforesaid, naming the successful candidate or candidates as
defendants, and praying that the facts alleged may be inquired
into. The Court, upon said petition and the affidavit or affi-
davits filed therewith, shall promptly order such reasonable
notice of such petition to be given to the defendant or defend-
ants, and require him or them, within as short a time as may
be reasonable, to answer, show cause or otherwise defend as
the Court may deem just and reasonable, upon the petitioners
giving security for costs in such sum of money as the Court
shall deem reasonable. Such petition shall be tried without a
jury, unless any of the parties thereto shall elect to have the
same tried by a jury. The case shall be tried not later than
fifteen days after such petition has been filed and within such
period if possible, and shall be given priority over other Court
business, and when a jury trial is demanded by any of the
parties to such petition, the jury for said term shall try it;
and if the jury for said term shall have been dismissed, the
Court shall recall said jury for the purpose of trying said