The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-01-10
NUMBER A.
MAYOR HAYES DEFIANT.
throws Down the Gauntlet to Democratic
Leaders.-Says He Is Not In Favor of
Negro Disfranchisement

Negro Disfr~nchisement.
Leading Democratic politicians are
much chagrined at the attitude of
Mayor Hayes in coming out fat-foot-
ed against an extra session of the
Legislature to disfranchise the litter
ate negro voter. The Mayor is rec
ognized as being in the political con
fidence Of State Senator DIN BRYAN.
and the latter's vote is absolutely
essential to the Democrats in the
Senate to secure constitutional ma
jority.
Under the circumstances there is
great trepidation among the leaders
that the scheme of DISTINGUISHING the
ignorant negro vote and thereby
making the State safely Democratic
is virtually Knocked in the head.
Mayor Hayes said this afternoon
Il am opposed to an extra session of
the Legislature, and will fight any
such proposition" The Mayor bases
his antagonism to the project for sew
eral reasons. He says to deprive any
set OF men, white or black, of their
Constitutional right to vote is IA bad
step backward. In Maryland the ne
gro is not menace to the lives of the
whites, as in South Carolina.
He believes it would be undemo-
cratic to deprive anybody of his vote,
a no.
all the teachings of the leaders Of the
Democratic party and the fathers of
the Republic. While it may be true
that the ignorant voter can be bought
the Mayor says that he constitutes an
effective check upon many of the I'M
fortunate tendencies of the times.
He does not consider it advisable to
place the government in the hands of
any one class, and says the more
widespread the suffrage the more
safeguards there are about the rights
OF the people as whole.
Tom Hayes has deliberately plac-
ed himself outside the breastworks."
declared Democratic politician this
morning. He has made other bad
breaks, from a party standpoint, but
this time he goes the entire route and
throws down the gauntlet good and
hard to every Democratic leader in
the State. He promises to block the
only chance we had to push through
the desired legislation. Without Sen
ator Bryan the necessary II votes in
the Senate cannot be gotten 1t is
true there are - Democratic names
on the Senate roll, but Senator
Claggett is unable to attend, he being
absent throughout the last session
and is now in no better condition.
The result in both city and State
at the Presidential election affords no
comfort to the Democrats, and our
only opportunity to regain our con-
troll is by legislation DISTINGUISHING
the illiterate vote, both white and
black. Now, if Tom Hayes was a
good party man he would readily rec
ognize the exigencies of the situation
and throw whatever inflence he DOS
sesses with the interests of his party.
Unfortunately for the success of the
plans laid out, he is just able to
checkmate everything through his
supposed influence with Senator
Bryan. The latter is conscientious
and honest, but he is apt to see things
through the Hayes eyeglasses that
he cannot be depended on in this
emergency.
1T would be folly to go down to
Annapolis to an extra session without
a positive knowledge that the scheme
would go through without a hitch.
From all reports, Governor Smith
could be induced to call the extra
session provided the fences were all
fixed. He cannot be blamed for hold
ing off as he has done until sure of
his ground. Mayor Hayes has, by
this action, fashioned another and
shorter nail for his political coffin"
State Senator DIN Bryan, who is
also Mayor Hayes appointee as First
Assistant City Solicitor, opposed the
project of DISTINGUISHING the illiterate
negro vote last winter when it was
being agitated at Annapolis. He was
asked recently whether he stood now
as he did last year on this question,
and he replied that he did not. He
said he was prepared to listen to par
ty counsels on all party matters, but
would not commit himself either for
or against the acknowledgements prop
osition.