The Democratic advocate., 1901-10-05
SOME MORE PLANKS.

From the Frederick Citizen, September g. 1901.
SIN the acOrds of oar Otrn DectdrtiOn Of
Riqhts ace redfirm that THE RIGHT OF THE
PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE LEGISLATURE IS
THE BEST SECURITY OF LIBERTY AND THE OWN
DATIoN OF ALL FREE GOVERNMENT, AND EAERY
MALE CITIZEN HAVING THE QUALIFICATIONS
PRESCRIBED BY THE CONSTITUTION OUGHT TO
HAVE THE RIGHT OF SUFFRAGE. Therefore
Republican Legislature ,eW repeal oar uncoh-
stit,tional election lao and enact the bill pre-
pared By the same association that formulated
the election lac of 1896, and restored man
hood suffrage an Maryland.
The above is quotation from the Republi
can State platform. 1t contains the statement
of at least what purports 10 be one definite
fact. and promise to do something. The
fact stated is that the Maryland Declaration OF
Rights contains the provision which, for iden-
tlication, we have put in capitals. The prom
Use is that the Republicans will, if they control
the Legislature, restore "manhood suffrage.
The Declaration of Rights was quoted appar-
emily to show that the recent ballot law is in
conflict with it and is, therefore, unconstilu-
tional. AS the Republican party has never
shown any solicitude about the dsiranchlse-
ment of lchite Democrats we must assume
when it authoritatively speaks about restoring
manhood suffrage" that it means restoring
Ine suffrage 10 IgHOIdllt anu lllllcidlC hCSioSo
who. it is alleged, will be deprived of a vote
by the recently enacted election law. Upon
the assumption that the wrath of our good
friends who we're delegates to the Republican
State Convention was aimed at the appre-
hended disfranchisement of illiterate negroes,
let us look for a moment at the attitude which
the trainers ofthe platform occupy.
If it was unconstitutional to disfranchise H.
literate negroes, and was unconstitutional be-
cause their right to vote is guaranteed by the
Declaration of Rights, then there must be
something in that Declaration of Rights which
either directly or indirectly gives those per
sons the right TO vote. This proposition is
too clear TO require discussion, and its clear
ness was recognized by the trainers OF the
platform for they forthwith proceeded to rely,
not on the Declaration of Rights as 1t was
written and as it has stood for half century,
but upon new version Of 1t which the Repno-
lican Convention constructed for itself to suit
the occasion. The article of the Declaration
of Rights which the platform purports to quote
reads this way '''rhat the right of the peo-
pie TO participate in the Legislature is the best
security of liberty and the foundation OF all
free government and every WHITE
male citizen, having the qualifications pre-
scribed by the Constitution ought TO have the
right of suffrage" But to quote that article
as it stands would take the point out OF the ar
gument, because the article processes to deal
alone with white men, and was adopted at
time, and was applicable to a condition which
existed. long before it was ever supposed that
negro would vote in Maryland. So, instead
of quoting the Declaration of Rights AS IT IS
written aud as ii stands unchanged today, our
adroit friends just dropped the word white
aud thus serenely made the Declaration Ut