The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-06-25
THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY OF MAYLAND.
Its Character and Component
Parts.
ARTICLE BY THE DEMOCRATIC EDITORS
ASSOCIATION.
CENTRENILLE OBSERVER.

y
ASSOCIATION.
CENTREVILLE OBSERVER.
A little over one nineteeth part of the
2l3,SO4 registered white voters of the
State, consisting largely of non-taxpaycrs
not materially interested in the econo-
mical government of the State of their
counties, are enable to combine with
more than two and one-half times their
own number of the machine colored vote
and elected a majority of the men that
make the laws of the State.
These facts are shown by figures of last
last year. Were the registered white
vote augmented by the $4,000 white
Democrats who failed to register last
year and the Republican vote diminished
by the Democrats who voted for McKin
ley on the financial question, but who
will not longer affiliate with that party,
the comparison would be stronger
still.
the above statistical table proves at once
that the whole stock in trade of the
Republican party in Maryland consists
of the unbroken ranks of the tifty-odd
thousand colored voters of the State, main
tanned as political machine. This machine
broken, and the Republican party in
Maryland, as in every other Southern
State, would sink into immediate and
absolute insignificance. Were the negro
vote divided evenly, or at all, between
the two political parties, as it ought to
have done long ago and would have
done under normal conditions, and the
II 900 white men in sixteen counties, who
are now vested with the power of nam
ing majority of the law making branch
of the State government, would at once
become an entirely insignificant factor in
the politics of the State as well as of the
counties in which they reside.
WESTMINSTER ADVOCATE.
In the first article sent out by the
Association, "Sham Reform" it was
shown how by a sharp as well as dis
honorable trick the oath of secrecy was
omitted from the election law, thus
placing the vote of the colored illiterates
completely under control of Republican
election officials. In the second article,
4 table is given showing some interest
ing facts. 1t shows that there are S4,S65
white and 50, 113 coloredRepublican voters
in Maryland, according to the publish ed
number of colored voters registered and
the election returns of the last election.
The article analyses the table and shows
that in certain counties the white Re-
publican vote is very small as compared
with the colored vote, and shows also the
power "a few whites have who control
the large illiterate colored vote.
If the table be examined it will be seen
that only in two counties of the state are
there Republican majorities without the
aid of the colorei vote-Allegany and
Garrett
Not a congressional district in the state
could be carried without the irresponsi-
BILE and illiterate colored vote, placed by
John Roses reform election law under
the espionage of Republican election
officers.
The Republican party of Maryland is
controlled by a small part of its white vote.
The table will show how small is the white
vote in all the. counties except in the north
ern tier, yet this small vote has large vot-
instance 921 white voters in Dorchester
can elect four delegates to a state conven-
ton yet 1893 white Republicans of Fred
erick can elect only six. The 6,506 white
Republicans of Baltimore county can elect
but seven delegates to state convention,
yet the eleven counties Of St. Mary's,
Charles, Calvert, Queen Anne's, Howard,
Kent, Talbot, Worcester, Caroline, Prince
Georges and Montgomery, with white
Republican vote of 6 ,544, can elect 80.
The colored vote in most of the counties
Of the state is under bad management
much to the detriment of good govern
ment, and this same vote gives these un-
representative white citizens very unfair
advantage in party control. The colored
people have shown some disposition to set
up for themselves, and they should be en-
couraged to do So 1t would be better for
the Republican party and better for the
state.