The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1902-01-31

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REMOVE THE PARTY DESIGNATION.
Since the last election there has
been a sentiment arising from the re-
suits of that contest favoring some
notifications in the law under which
it was held. Ofcourse, no one ex-
pected this law to he perfect or ac-
eomplish entirely what its trainers
had anticipated and the present Leg
islaturc will be called upon to remedy
the defects. As each House is Demo-
cratic by safe working majority,
that party will be charged with the
responsibility of perfecting the law.
They may expect resistance from the
solid Republican minority who will
as matter of course make every
effort they can to defeat the law be-
cause it was in a measure intended
to disfranchise a large number Of
their supporters. This being the case,
it is clearly the duty Of the Demo-
cratic majority to pass a remedial
act which will more thoroughly &C
complish what the extra session Of
1901 aimed to bring about-the dis
reimbursement of the negro voter.
Last fall during the campaign the
fight was made ON the issue Of white
supremacy. This was the one single
point raised, and the white man won.
Every Democrat, who is in the pres
ent Legislature, is under a moral
pledge to enact such legislation as
will bring about in a constitutional
manner, the disfranchisement of the
negro. We do not favor the use of
trick ballots or any temporary make
shift which would produce temporary
effects. What we do ask this Legis-
lature to do is to pass a law which
will make it impossible for an ig-
norant voter to cast his ballot so
that it will count. Theextra session
of 1901 had this result in view but n
practical test has demonstrated that
they were not successful i'll their eff
forts. The degree of intelligence re-
CURED to cast ballot under the new
law is really not so great, or at
least no greater, than that Of the
Acts of 1S96-9S. All that is re-
quired, at the present time, is, to
train the eye to become familiar with
one single letter of the alphabet and
to make mark wherever this is seen.
The present Legislature, lift wishes
to redeem its anti-election pledge, is
bound to 60 further and pass a law
that will practically redeem that
promise. We have two or three
times taken occasion to urge upon
them to take the party designation
from the ticket. Should this be done,
only the names of the candidates,
classified under the heads of the
offices for which they are running,
would appear on the ticket and no
man, unless he was able to read could
vote an intelligent ballot. This may
work some hardship upon worthy
men who did not have the oppor-
tunities for an education that they
are able to give their children, but
they should be satisfied to stand
this deprivation when they take into
consideration that their sacrifice is
being made for good cause. They
do not want negro domination and
the only way that they can prevent
it is to accept a law which would
practically disfranchise three-fourths
of them.
1t is said that this radical step may
meet with some resistance from some
of those of our own political faith.
We cannot see how they can con-
scientiously take such a stand when
they consider the racial question in
all its different aspects. We have EN-
deavored to look at this matter in a
practical way and are only actuated
by the one motive-continuan of
the white mans rule. Had our Leg
islature stronger Democratic ma
jority, a constitutional amendment |
could be adopted which would for
ever settle the question. This, how
ever, being impossible, it is the duty
of those whom we have chosen to
represent us in the State councils to
give us the next best thing that they
can.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE LEGISLATURE
On Monday United States Senator
elect Arthur p. German was formal
ly notified by a committee of the
Senate and House ofDelegates, ofhis
election as United States Senator
from Maryland to succeed George l..
Wellington. The ceremony took
place at the Hotel Rennert and was