|
66 CITIZENSHIP AND SUFFRAGE IN,IALARYLAND..
really the ;;" general counsel to the Board of `Supervisors of Baltimore
city,"
appointed -under the law of ,1890. It was . further found that the second
attorney was appointed under the provision ~of he law of 1890, allowing the
Board of Supervisors to "appoints additional counsel to appear for and
defend' said officers of registration in all cases brought ,against them as
such
officers;-whose combined compensation shall not exceed $1,500 in any one
year."= The "combined, compensation" was received by this one man, who,
as is above seen, had no' right to appear on the scene as a general counsel
at
all, there being but one general counsel appointed under the law.
It was still further noted that the second attorney ` was Speaker of the
House of -Delegates ; that, as member of that house, he had taken an oathz
that "I will not, directly or -indirectly, receive the profits, or any part
of
the profits, of any other office during the term of -my acting as member of
the
House of Delegates," and that, by holding a second office in violation of
that
oath, 'he .was liable, " on conviction' thereof in a court, of law, in
addition to
the penalties now, or hereafter to be imposed by law," to " be thereafter
in-
capable of holding any office of profit or trust in this State."
There was a question, whether this prouunciamertto was not prepared in
advance of the beginning of registration.' At any rate, as.a result of it,
the
watchers appointed by the Republican party were almost everywhere ejected
from registration offices on the 16th of September; the first day of the
sitting.
Three.watchers refused to leave and were arrested.. Writs of 'habeas corpus
were sued out before Judge Phelps, and the cases were heard on the next
day. In the meantime the prosecution had evidently discovered the lack of
wisdom .in their proceedings, and stated they would abandon -proceedings.
Suit'for damages was at once entered by the watchers .against the registers
who :caused them to be ejected. .
On September 18, another watcher was arrested, but was promptly. re-
leased by Judge Phelps, and at once swore out a warrant for the arrest of
the
register for violation of the Act of 1890. The Act declares that any
register
doing acts contrary to the law, or omitting to. do acts in accordance with
law,
is guilty of a misdemeanor, and may be punished, upon conviction, by a
penalty not exceeding a fine of $500 and three years' imprisonment.
The Reform League called on the Supervisors to remove some of the of-
fending registers.5 The Board declined even to consider the matter, and
returned the following remarkable answer: " As the above-named registers
(I)` It is doubtful whether the Board can remove its counsel.
(2) Const., art. 1, acv. 5.
(8) ('oust., art. 1, sec. i.
(4) It is certain that, on the Saturday night before the opening of
registration, the counsel to the Supervisors in-
structed the registers to allow no one in the room more than fifteen
minutes. Thus they clearly intended to violate
the law.,
(5) They also asked them to revoke the instructions of the counsel to the
officers of registration, which request
was ignored,
|
