The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-04-05
EX-SENATOR GORNIAN TALKS.

Ex-senator German is. perhaps, the
ablest of living Marylanders. If not
that he is the most sagacious and far
sighted. He has made an elaborate
talk upon the situation in his state. and
the recent election law adopted. He
makes no apology whatever for Mary
lands action. He says that if many
illiterates are debarred from the
exercise of the right of suffrage, they
alone are to blame. He contends that
the new law is demanded as a protec-
ton for the state against the influx of
fraudulent voters. and that the new
law is both fair and uniform. 1t really
disfranchises nearly as many whites
as negroes. The Washington Post re-
ports what he says. and it would fill
six columns of Messenger. He in
sists that the new law is all right,
that it provides for d fair and uniform
registration. that it will shield his state
against the large influx of ignorant,
undesirable people, and from the inva-
sion of fraudulent voters coming in at
elections from neighboring states
from Virginia, Pennsylvania and West
Virginia. Under the new law only bona
ide residents can vote. The law adopt
ed is the Massachusetts law and is
identical as to form. Northern re-
publicans and independents have not
Missed and howled as to that law.
Here is pith and point:
THE people of Maryland he de-
clared, speaking slowly and with great
earnestneSs. would have no trouble
whatever in regard to their suffrage
provided it was confined to the leg1t1-
mate residents of the state. or to the
people who have interests there. But
the exclusion of the colored people
from participation in elections in the
southern states, and. as we belleVe,
the systematic efforts or the part OF
certain employers to obtain cheap labor
have been the mean OF bringing great
numbers of undesirable colored people
into Maryland. who have no interest in
our community and possibly dc not
possess sufficient intelligence to
them to vote without assistance. Ihey
have been used. however. by the poll
ticians, and they threaten the good or
der of society in the state"
Please read that again carefully and
then condemn if you "a the wise men
of Maryland. Voters must be able &c
read, and they must really live IN
Maryland. Tramps. fugitives and
squatters will not do. Mr.. German
gave some census figures that tell the
story of wrong:
ITO give an idea how serious TINS
condition has become. and n numoel
of voters who have been added to oul
registration within the past ten years,
he said. ST want to quote from the
federal census of 1900. bulletin No, -
which gives the population OF MarylanC
as 1906 This is an increase In tne
total population Of the state, men
women and children. since 1891, OF I4i,
$50 In the same time the REGISTERED
vote of the state under the non-par.
tisan system of registration. increases
81. 102. The registered vote or q sIat'
according to the federal census returns
should be one voter to every our III
habitants. But the increase Oh VoteT,
to population is about two and a ma.
tn one. or an increase beyond what !
should be Of 24.1S7."
Is it not rather one vote to every
FIVE which we believe it is. and tina
makes more apparent the republican