Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1901-03-29
REpHRLIfIAN ALARM

hhPUBLICAN ALARM.
The wel.posted Washington correspond
ent of the Baltimore Sun, under date Of the
2lst instant, sends the following 10 that
paper:
Political commissions are still affecting
Republican party organs and Republican
politicians because OF the new Election act
Of Maryland. Indeed, the pain appears TO
be increasing and the attacks more violent.
II was semi-of1cially announced here To-
day that the Republican managers and the
Republican Congressional Committee have
their eye on Maryland and are viewing
with "undisguised alarm" what is going on
there. Chairman Babcock, Of the Republi-
can Congressional Committee, said Congress
must be influenced by the action in Mary
land TO take action reducing the represent
alton Of Maryland and all other States where
the negro is eliminated as voter. Mr..
9abcock further delivered himself of plain
i've lament over the prospective adVan-
tages TO result to the Democratic party from
negro disfranchisement.
This is the whole story. Not Republ
can newspaper and not Republican poll.
tician anywhere would give utterance TO
one sentiment Of protest or remonstrance
but for the apprehension Of benefit 70 the
Democratic party. Now, why was the
elective franchise ever conferred upon the
negro Simply and solely because it would
benefit the Republican party. No man can
he 80 ignorant as not 70 know this. The
Fifteenth Amendment TO the Constitution
would not and could not have received
dozen votes altogether 10 both houses OF
Congress but for the argument that it would
BE such powerful aid 10 the party. For
mere shameiacedness Mr.. Babcock and his
friends ought TO get up some other reason
against the Maryland and the Southern
election laws.
The Maryland Republican leaders also
seem 10 have poor memories In their wall
ing over negro Acknowledgement. Senator
McComas and many others Of them arc
quite old enough TO recall The period when
the flower Of the white manhood of Mary.
kduu was nLLCoo W pOllbt huu D.
denied unconstitutionally, unlawfully and
unjustly. Their lips were closed then, al
though less than one.third the legal voters
OF the State controlled and less than 10000
legal voters in the city Of Baltimore usurped
the management OF It's affairs. 1t is all right
for these things 10 be done when the Repub-
licsn party Is To benefit, but all wrong when
The benefit possibly may accrue TO the Dem
.cratic party.
When Congress meets there will be a
tremendous cry for the enforcement Of the
Fourteenth Amendment. The several prop
ositions bearing on this subject submitted
10 the Fifth sixth Congress all died with it
They and others will be brought forward
ia the Fiity.seventh Congress and will be
pressed with all the earnestness Of their
authors. There can be no doubt about this.
Whether favorable action will be taken is
another matter, for, as has been said and is
well understood, there is a strong and most
influential element 10 the Republican party
which iavors no interference with those
States endeaVoring 10 lessen the evils for
the body polite occasioned by dense masses
of illiterste negro voters
II this cry for the enforcement Of the
Fourteenth Amendment sttains serious pro
portions it will open up an exceedingly
broad field for discussion and action. In
all probability it may lead TO consequences
which would not be 30 pleasant for some of
the agitators. II would scarcely be con.
tended that any inquiry into the abridge.
ment, restriction or inequalities OF the fran
chise must be confined 10 the Southern
States. Inquiry could properly be demand
ed as 10 the inequalities Of the franchise ex.
isting in certain New England States where
by Republicans sit in the United States SEN
ate who would not have one chance in ten
of being there otherwise. The most favorite
method OF those who are 30 disturbed about
the rights Of the ignorant negroes OF the
South Is TO make calculations as 10 how
many voters it requires to elect a member
of Congress in the South and how much
greater number it requires in the North.
1t might be well for these lightning cal
culators 10 figure on the States of Rhode
island and Connecticut, for instance, and
ascertain how many voters it requires TO
elect a member of the Legislature in one
district and how many In another. They
would find frequent instances of ten Repub-
licans having the same voting power as five
hundred Democrats, and this is one Of the
very potent reasons why the Democrats of
New England have had only three Repre-.
sentatives in the United States Senate for
forty odd years.
Suppose any such legislative apportion-
ment rs this prevailed In Maryland favor
ing the Democrats. Maryland might have
twice Ne many negro votes as 1t now has
and there would not be the ghost of a
chance OF the election Of a Republican Leg.
islature, nor would Mr.. Wellington and Mr..
McComas be where they now are
Two wrongs certainly do not make one
light. But il politicians were expected TO
conscientious aud consistent they would
not be found claiming that what is wrong
n one State or section is right 10 another.