The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-10-18
MARYLAND NATURALLY DEMO
CRATIC

Many persons suppose that since
the Civil War the drift of the state
of Maryland has been towards Re-
publican doctrines and principles.
Our older residents point with pride
to the election in 1867, the first under
our present Constitution, when the
late Oden Bowie was elected Gov
ernor by over &C, 900 plurality. They
should however remember that the
negro at that time was not allowed
to vote, neither does our present
Constitution extend to him that pri-
vilege. The only standing as citi-
zen and voter that the colored voter
has today is that given him under
the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amend
ments to the Constitution of the
United States, the latter of which de-
clares that the privilege of suffrage
should not be withheld from any
male citizen above the age oftwenty-
one years on account of race, color
or previous condition of servitude.
If we take the State election of 1899,
in which Mr.. Lowndes received
116,2S votes for Governor, and
subtract from that the so, 900 negro
votes that were undoubtedly cast for
him, although the actual number
registered that year was over SIS, 900,
and the discrepancy offs, 900 is allow
ed on account ofsome scattering votes
which may have been cast for the
Democratic nominees, and the stay
at homes can also be included in the
latter number, it will show that Mr..
Lowndes received &C, 2s6 white votes;
subtract that from 1913, 400, the
number cast for his successful op-
ponent Governor John Walter Smith,
and it will show that the Democrats
had a majority of 62, 1913 votes.
The above illustration plainly in
dicates that Maryland is more
strongly Democratic today than she
was Immediately after the war, and
that the tendency of the white peo-
pie is directed towards that party
with increasing numbers each year as
the population becomes larger.
What we would like to ask the
thinking voter is this: Does he sup
pose that this solid block ofignorance
should be allowed to weigh against
the best Judgment of a majority of
the white people? Maryland is a
white mans State. Each election
gives added proof of this assertion.
The only crime that the Republicans
allege against the Democrats this fall
is, that they have attempted to
abridge the suffrage of a race of peo-
pie who are not yet fit to intelligent
ly pass upon the duties and responsi-
bilities of good government. The
election law passed by the recent
session of the Legislature was the
outgrowth of a yearly increase of
the negro vote, which has grown
from 47,152 in 1898 to 1924 in
1900, and yet, in the face of this
rapid increase, the Republicans at
tempt to make light of the question
of negro domination.
We believe that they are sincere in
saying that they can control this
vote and prevent the making ofnegro
nominations for office, but the time
is not far distant when they will lose
the helm and the recent bloody
dramas of Louisiana and North
Carolina will be enacted. 1t willnot
then be the question ofRepublicanism
against Democracy or vice versa; but
the question of race supremacy
cy will be presented, and the white
man will have to sweep away party
lines in order to again place the Gov
eminent in safe hands.
In the above we have accorded to
the Republicans much more charity
than they are disposed to give us.
1t is only a matter of principle with
the Democrats, while our opponents
at present seem to be blinded with
the greed of office. The day will
come when they will see the wisdom
of the course that has been recently
taken by our party, but it will then
be too late to regain the State
through the peaceful ballot, and
bloodshed may take the place of
arguments and bayonets instead of