New-York tribune., 1901-01-26
DIsFRANcHISEMEET IN MARYLAND.

The independent Democrats of Maryland are
we'll advised in opposing the movement to dis
franchise the negroes in Maryland for the bene-
fit Of the German machine. Disfranchisement
is not so much to be feared by them because Of
its promise of renewed ascendency to Mr.. Cor
man as for larger reasons of National welfare
and good feeling. The people of the North have
so far sat still and tolerated the practical nulli
ficatiOn Of the Constitution in the Far South.
That liberation has by no means meant approval
of the methods there employed. On the con
trary, it has been the outward sign of grea.
deal of inward self-restraint on the part of
people who felt that the mandate of the Con-
stitution would fully Justify cutting down the
representation of the disfranchising States.
Realizing however. that the race problem in
the South was by no means a simple one, the
North has refrained from attempts to enforce
the letter of the law. Thinking men every
where sympathize with the highly civilized pOr
ton of the Southern people in their desire to he
rid of the domination OF dense ignorance, and
while objecting 10 constitutions discriminating
between black ignorance and white ignorance
they have been inclined to make allowances
for inbred race prejudice and the embarrass-
ment of the whites of all classes in States where
they are surrounded by overwhelming numbers
of negroes whose rule in the past has been
disastrous.
No such condition prevails in Maryland The
colored population is only one-fifth of the whole
and the ratio is not increasing. 1t has never
dominated the State, nor has it been a consid-
erable factor in any political movement which
has interfered with the States prosperity or re-
suited in misgovernment. Such Republican sue
cesses as have occurred in Maryland have re-
suited not from any rise of negroes TO power.
but from the revolt of respectable Democrats
against the corruption of the German machine,
and from enlightened adhesion of thinking
people to sound money and other Republican
doctrines. These successes have been a benefit
10 the State. There is. then, not the least simi-
larity between the conditions in Maryland and
in Mississippi, where the Democratic machine
was able TO plead even in wrongdoing that it
was the representative of the conservative ''bet-
ter element" of the population. AS the indie
pendent Baltimore News" says, disfranchise-
ment would put upon Maryland, out of sheer
''wantonness, the burden which the States of
''the Far South feel themselves forced to as
''sume account of unfortunate conditions"
Maryland has now free and fair elections and
the only object of the proposed legislation is to
deprive the Republicans and Sound Money
Democrats of enough votes TO place Mr. German
once more in power.
Whether or not Maryland wants to surrender
| herself TO Gormanism is her own affair The
wanton extension of the policy of negro dis
franchisement where ii has not the excuse of
intolerahle race conditions. but is merely an
| instrument of Democratic politics. becomes a
National concern. The patience of the North
with letting the South. as it asks "solve the
negro problem in its own way" even though
that is bad way, may be stretched beyond
endurance. Our Baltimore contemporary real
lies this. and says concerning the danger of pre-
cipitating crisis in the delicate and difficult
problem of Southern representation:
| 1T is reasonable TO appeal to Republicans to
| keep hands off that affair, long as the affair
! remains as II has been; it will not be reasonable
! 10 do so after Maryland has deliberately and
| without the semblance Of just provocation Joined
J the ranks OF the ironbound Democratic States