The Democratic advocate., 1901-10-05

their argument instead of making the argu-
ment fit the Declaration. This was neat but
it is not sound 1t ought not to be forgotten
that the Declaration of Rights conferS no right
to vote on any person, for il merely declares
that every Uhite male citizen who possesses
the qualifications prescribed by the Constutu-
ton ought to have the right of suffrage. 1t is
therefore to the Constitution that resort must
be had to ascertain who are the white male
citizens that do possess the qualifications en-
titling them to vote.
1t is true the fifteenth amendment to the
Federal Constitution has been thrust upon the
country since the adoption of the Maryland
Constitution, but the Supreme Court has held
that the fifteenth amendment gave no afhrma-
tive right TO the colored man to vote, but was
designed primarily toprevent discrimination
against him whenever the right to vote may
be granted to others. The case in which this
doctrine was announced has never been over
ruled though in later decision it was said
that under some conditions the amendment
might be said to confer the right of suffrage.
If there is any conflict between these cases 1t
only furnishes another of the many instances
in which that learned court has not been con
sistent with itself. However, this may be,
the fact remains the right to vote in Maryland
is not derived from the Declaration OF Rights.
That instrument is precisely what its name
implies-a Declaration of Rights. 1t is a sort
of preface to the Constitution. Now the peo-
ple of MARYLAND cannot be prohibited from
saving in their Declaration of Rights hat in
their Judgment no one bnt iohite male citizens
ought TO vote, and no provision OF the United
States Constitution and no amendment since
adopted can abridge the right TO say this,
though the paramount law contained in the
Federal Constitution may prevent the people
from enforcing that judgment. The Declara-
ton of Rights embodies on this subject, the
belief or conviction of the people of Maryland
that only white male citizens ought to vote
and no Federal enactment can alter that be-
lief or conviction, though it may prevent that
belief or conviction from being put into prac-
tice. SO the fifteenth amendment has not
struck the word white out of the Declaration
of Rights though in effect it may have made
the same word in the State Constitution inop
eratiye. When therefore, the Declaration of
Rights is appealed to, it must be appealed to
as il is and as embodying the belief OF the
people of Maryland and it cannot be emascu-
lated by arbitrarily dropping out the word
white. and when that now is thus dropped out
no argument can be deduced that the ballot
law is unconstitutional because in conflict or
supposed conflict with the emasculated artl-
Gle of the Declaration of Rights. Therefore
II is that we find fault with the Republlcan
Convention for misquoting the Declaration of
Rights TO bolster up a denunciation OF the
ballot law.
Thus bad begins but worse remains behind.
The promise to restore manhood suffrage must
mean promise to restore the suffrage to H.
literate negroes if they have been deprived OF
If And it must mean this because the ex-
perience we have had in this State with the
Republican party when ii dealt with the suf-
fraqe question at a time that the party was IN
untrammeled control of the State, has led us
to believe that it was then chiefly concerned
with the disfranchisement of white Democrats.
The proof of this statement will lead us back
some years, but the proofs conclusive.
In the Presidential election OF 1860 there
were 90. 5O2 votes cast in Maryland. 1t is not
probable that the voting population materially
decreased from then until 1864. At the cleo
ton held on October 18th and 18th IN the last
named year upon the adoption of the Constl-
tion framed in that year, there were 51.0II
votes cast in the State and 1866 soldier
votes cast out of the State, making total OF
81. 973 or 80. .529 less than had been cast at
The Presidential election four years before.
OF these sc, or votes only q, 54l were in ia
yor of the adopIion of the Constitution. Ad-
ding to the q, ,541, 1888 votes cast beyond
the State by soldiers, aud the vote by which
the Constitution of 1864 was adopted aggre-