The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1901-03-29
\ GREAT EDUCATIONAL
SCHENF.

ct is mistake" says the Washin gton
Post, 'to class the new suffrage law of
MARYLAND with the DISTINGUISHING acts of
any of the other States farther South. The
Maryland law does not, in fact disfran-
chise any man, black or white. Although
it is not copied from the statutes of any
State, it bears a closer relation to the
Massachusetts act than any other. And
while it may be product of partisanship
designed to promote partisan ends and
personal ambition, it will in its practical
operations prove to be one of the most
powerful promoters of rudmentary edu-
examination in reading or writing. 1t
bars no man from the polls who would
else have been voter. 1t does not IN
any way infringe upon the fifteenth
amendment, nor does it afford any excuse
or ground for an application of the four
teenth amendment 1t is far more gener
Gus to illterates than the Massachusetts
law, for that sets up an arbitrary test,
while this permits every qualified voter,
regardless of education or the lack of it,
to mark and deposit his ballot
ut is expected that this law, which
does not, in express terms, disfranchise
anybody, will practically disfranchise
about $4,000 negroes and 10000 whites,
all of the former and half of the latter be-
ing Republicans. This would make the
Democratic party an easy winner There
is to be absolute uniformity of ballots.
Members Of each party must select the
names of the candidates for whom they
wish to vote and do their own marking.
mo assistance is permitted. The litter
ate, attempting to vote under such cond'-
tions, would be as likely to cast a ballot on
the sdeof the enemy as to help his brethren
1t is, therefore, assumed that illiterates
will keep away from the polls, and per-
haps most of them will, but not all. Some
will try their luck at guessing. Others
will try to prepare for the ordeal and Will
think they have succeeded. Probably the
count of ballots at the first election will
show large proportion spoiled by dupli-
cation-the marking of two names for the
same office. Nor is it improbable that the
Democratic total will be swollen by the
mistakes of ignorant Republicans.
ut would be difficult to conceive of any
practicable way of exciting thirst for
simple book learning at all comparable to
this scheme. Here are $4,000 male citizens
more than twenty-one years OF age
who have been accustomed to vote and
who feel that their virtual exclusion from
the suffrage by reason of ignorance is
shame to their manhood The law leaves
the door wide open to them to rehabilltate
themselves All that is required is to
master the art of reading. 1t is reasonably
believed that thousands of these men will
at once, and with unfagging zeal, set
themselves to that task. 1t may be too
much to be expected of those who are
past middle life that they take to the
primer and spelling book, but they young
man who is not stimulated to that course
| by this law is a person whose absence
from the polls will always be desirable.
"All over the State there are boys of all
the ages between birth and majority
white, black, native and of foreign origin
to whom this law will be grand bene-
faction. They will owe to it their escape
from illiteracy. 1t will give them the key
that unlocks the worlds acquired stock of
knowledge. 1t is doubtful if all the
| money expended for education in Mary
land this year will go half as far toward
accomplishing the purpose for which the
| free schools were established as this in
genious piece of partisan legislation. Not
| only the individual illiterates and their
families, but the State, will gain an up
| lifting influence from this educational
stimulant.
massachusetts claims the honor, and
it is one of her proudest distinctions, of
having originated what has since become
| the American common school system. 1t
| was established in order to qualify the
| youth for the duties of mature life. 1t
| was Massachusetts, that led the movement
| for an educational basis of the suffrage
| The significance of those two acts, as
separate features of a comprehensive
plan is well worthy of serious considera-
| ton in all the States