New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-05-19
"CIPH ERs.o
The National Intelligeneer utters this mOan:
betrayers.

cat the Hagerstown meeting Of Dsunon ProscrptioDsts
friends OF eedoml Of Maryland they resolved asanst negro
sesepston IN Congress This would throw half Of the
present representation OF the State IN the HOUSE
thus advocating their power and influence INC couhe
Of the nation"
To which is added this sad suggestion that Mary
land is to be q cipher in the national councils
Let us look, in the first place, at the power ana
influence in the councils of the nation, when inc
people of Maryland are expected to abnegate. MARY
land had at the last census population OIL oo'o''
souls--5l5, 9I5 white and H. lOl black In 1901 be-
fore the war, when the Rebels were in voting trim'
the State cast 3D. 462 ballots. and had seven votes IN
the Electoral College, The Maryland Republicans
think that 90, 462 ballots should represent so much
power and no more The Copperheads contend tha'
they should represent III Ol blacks, who are monde
scripts in Maryland law, and with no more right al
the polls than many horses and cows ANA IL
MARYLAND does not retain this right to vote the
strength of III Ol souls than she recognizes OF
the ballot, she becomes cipher
Perhaps Louisiana will be better illustration.
That State had before the war 69 002 peope-3o 800
white 355 273 black. She cast in 1860 $3.50 Ballots
and had seven votes in the electoral college. ii
Louisiana has her right share Of political power then
there are Al 952 cipher ballots in Maryland alone!
How is it in the North Maine, with population
of 62S, 279, and voting population Of 979l7 casts
but seven electoral votes. NewJcrsey with 672, O3o
people, and %. 9ls votes, has the same number II
MARYLAND is right there are 5456 diSfranchSed voters
in Maine, and %, sos in New-Jersey. If Louisiana
has her fair share, and no more, then 47,4O5 voters
arc DISTINGUISHED in Maine and 706l5 in New.Jersey.
Two States are permitted to disiranehiSe, eliminate
and utterly destroy the political existence OF 5oo4oi
of their inhabitants and yet to have as much iniu-
ence in the Union as two other States which recognize
similar popular existence. In other words, 1922
voters in Maryland and Louisiana are as influential as
2Io 0,3 voters in Maine and New-Jersey, and have
precisely the same voice in the electoral college we
can easily figure out 1901 cipher voters in this cal
culation who have no more power at our ballot-box
than SO many Hindoos-who are nullfed BY the e1-
stence Of monsrous slave oppression, which belongs
TO the past with all its sin and shortcomings, and
should be swept away.
If President Johnson's opinions twenty years ago
were worth considering to-day either as matter of
record or illustration we might show that he once
entertained similar views on this cipher question.
lie once thought that slave arisocracy in the South
should not be permitted to out-vote free labor repre-
senatyes in the South. We do not dwell upon that.
The argument we present is clear and compact that
VIC lose patience with those who pretend to question
it. The argument Of the Presidential organ only
shows that the sympathizers with rebellion do not in
tend to yield single point of their old Slavery pryi
leges They will keep the negro q nondescFipt, and
yet insist upon voting him as citizenn representation,
using his strength at the ballot-box By the help OF
Providence, we trust not many moons will pass until
this injustice is remedied