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$6 CITIZENSHIP, AND SUFFRAGE IN MARYLAND. .
said they could not so hold over, for their term extended , only to the,
election, arid- not to the election and qualification of their successors.
The.
court then decided that the Circuit Court, having rightly assumed jurisdic-
tion over a case of a contested election, and having declared against the
pretensions of ~ the contestants, had full power to declare also that the
con-
testees were not elected ; that the office was vacant, and that notice
should
be given the Governor, that it might be filled.' Where a special statutory
jurisdiction, -without express power of appeal, is conferred on a Circuit
Court,
in a matter of a contested election, and an appeal is taken, the Court of
Appeals is not authorized to do anything more than decide the question,
whether the case, as tried and determined, was within the limits of the
special jurisdiction conferred. If the Court is satisfied that it was within
the jurisdiction, the appeal must be dismissed. This was accordingly done.
We have traced rapidly the past history of citizenship and suffrage in
Maryland, and the present condition of the laws of the State on those
subjects.
We have seen the development from the early town-meeting government
of the first settlers to the complex government of to-day. In the course of
our investigations,we have noticed great changes: the right of
naturalization has
passed from the Province and State .t6 the Federal Government; denization
has
long been disused; aliens have attAned many of the rights of citizens; a
prop-
erty qualification-for voters has been introduced, and has been done away
with;
the ballot has succeeded the viva voce voting; the official, secret,
"blanket"
ballot has succeeded the unofficial one; registration of voters has been
intro-
duced; negroes have been given the suffrage; election districts have been
much diminished in size, that fraud might be detected and the honest voter
might exercise the privilege of suffrage more easily ; stringent laws have
been
enacted against fraud, that elections might truly express the people's
minds.
These are the changes of the past. We know not as yet what shall be
those of the future, but. we take good courage that they shall be for the
better.
The great movement of 1895 for good citizenship, and the increased interest
now taken by men of all walks of life that elections be kept free from
fraud,
encourage us to look hopefully towards the coming years.
There are some obvious improvements needed in the laws. A thorough
revision and codification of them is essential. The law in regard to resi-
dence especially needs amendment. I feel confident that the officers of
regis-
tration should also serve as judges of election. Other changes will suggest
themselves from time to time.
But more important than improvements in the law, is it to have a public
sentiment which will demand the unpartisan, fearless administration of
exist-
ing laws. Let honorable, God-fearing men be appointed as election officials,
and let all good citizens join heartily in their support, and then shall
the fu
tore history of the suffrage in Maryland be one of which all can be proud.
BALTIMORE, November 8, 1895..
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