The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-05-21
ssCiphers."
Ea.nn fhe Tribune.

From the Tribune.
The National Lrteligencer utters this moan:-
cat the Bagerstown meeting Of .disunion pros
criptionists tfriends Of treedom OF MARYLAND tnev
resolved aga INST negro suffrage, and IN favor OF
younR population as the basis of representation IN
Congress- 4 his would throw out hall OF the present
representatIon of the state in the House. he idea
has been joined by the radicals Are the peoOle of
Maryland for thus abnee ating heir power and indu-
ence IN the councls of the nationp .... -.f
To which is added this sad suggestion, that
'Maryland is to be cipher in the national
councils"
Let us look, in the first place, at ''the power
and influence in the councils of the nation"
which the people OF Maryland are expected to
abnegate. Maryland had at the last census a
population OF 6s7049 souls-5l5,9l8 white and
III, ,10l black. In 1860, before the war, when
the Rebels were in voting trim, the State cast
92462. ballots, and had seven votes IN the
Electoral College. The Maryland Republicans
think that 92 462 ballots should represent so
much power, and no more. The Oopperheads
contend that they should represent III, ,l0l
blacks, who are nondescrpts in Maryland law,
and with no more right at the polls than so
many horses and COWS. And If Maryland does
not retain this right to vote, the strength of
III, ,l0l more souls than she recognizes at the
ba lot, she becomes a cipher
Perhaps Louisiana will be better illustra-
ton. That State had before the war 697, ,0O2
peOple-35l, 500 white, 385,273 black. She cast
in 1860, 5O,5lO 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 popu-
latiOn of 628,279, and voting population of
97,9l8, casts but seven electoral votes. New
Jersey, with 672,035 people, and 97,9l8 votes,
has the same number, Ii Maryland is right,
there are 5456 dlsfranchsed voters in Maine,
and 2S, 66S in New Jersey. If Louisiana has her
fair share, and no more, then A. 408 voters are
disfranchised in Maine, and 706l5 in New Jer-
sey ..
Two States are permitted TO disfranchise,
eliminate, end utterly destroy the political
existence of 556.404 OF their inhabitants, and
yet to have as much influence in the Union as
two other States which recognize similar
popular existence. In other words, 142,972
voters in Maryland and Louisiana are as infiu-
ential as 2l9, 043 voters in Maine and New Jer-
sey, and have precisely the same voice in the
electoral college. We can easily figure out
76,O7l cipher voters in this calculation who have
no more power at our ballot box than so many
Hndoos-who are nuli6e1 by the existence Of
amonstrous 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 illustl alton, we might show
that he once entertained similar views on this
cipher question. He once thought that slave
aristocracy in the South should not be permitted
to outvOte free labor representatives In the South
We do not dwell upon that The argument we
present Is so clear and compact that we lose
patience with those who pretend to question it,
The argument of the Presidential organ only
shows that the sympathizerS with rebellion do
not intend to yield single point OF their old
slavery privileges. They will keep the negro a
nondescript, and yet insist upon voting him as a
citizen in repres entation, using his strength at
the ballotbox. By the help of Providence, we
trust not many moons will pass until this injus-
tice is remedied. ...''..'.