The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-12-17
THURSDAY, DECEMBER Il, 1908.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
Program of Democratic Leaders to Limi
Voting Franchise.

OONS l1lUl1UNAL AuENDmENl 10.
Program of Democratic Leaders to Limit
Voting Franchise.
Before the Legislature meets, on
January 9Th, the Democratic mana
gers will have definitely decided upon
and prepared the legislation which it
is proposed to pass for the purpose of
eliminating the negro as a political
factor in Maryland. That their ante
election promises on this line must be
carried out to the letter is recognized
as vital by the party leaders, and the
work of preparation is already under
way. The idea of a constitutional
convention next summer, with which
Senator German was at first imbued,
has now been practically abandoned
for two reasons-tirst, because of the
lack of feasibility of such a thing,
and, secondly, because an amendment
to the Constitution by the General
Assembly, it is believed, will be
equally effective and not hale so dan
gerous from a Democratic point of
view
The convention plan, while at first
favored, has been strongly opposed by
some of the most prominent men in
the party 1t has been pointed out
as an objection that special election
would have to be held to choose dele
gates to the convention and there
would be the risk of the Republicans
gaining control and thus making it
Republican convention. Again it is
urged, the convention, even if the
Democrats were in the ascendancy,
might get away and do all kinds of
things not contemplated by the lead
ers when it was called. After mature
thought the more conservative of the
managers have practically concluded
that to have the Legislature call
constitutional convention would be
something like jumping on wild
horse without a bridle,' and that
safer methods must be devised
Recently several conferences on this
subject have been held, and Mr.. Cor
man has gotten the views of num-
Der of gentlemen, both in Maryland
and out of it upon the matter Vari-
Gus schemes have been suggested and
threshed out, but the one that APP
pears to be the most favorably con-
sidered, and at the same time simple
and effective, as well as satisfactory
to the thousands who voted with the
party upon the race issue alone. is an
amendment to the Constitution COM
bining features of the North Carolina
and Massachusetts laws.
The amendment proposed provides
that only those persons who were en-
titled to vote prior to 1867 or who are
descendants of citizens who could
vote before that year shall be entitled
to register, unless they can read and
explain a section of the Constitution
of the United States or pay taxes upon
a certain amount of property If
anything more satisfactory than this
amendment can be devised for their
purpose, those who favor it say, they
do not know what it is. They point
out that this will absolutely eliminate
the negro, as it was not until 1867 that
the Fifteenth Amendment went into
effect and that it will not disfranchise
an illiterate native-born white man.
Neither will it, they assert, bar out
any naturalized foreigner who can
read or who owns property. To de-
prive of his vote the naturalized for
-eigner who can neither read nor who
owns taxable property, it is claimed,
will benefit the community generally
and put elections in Maryland upon a
higher plane. The friends of this
amendment say they see no valid
objection to it, and the claim is made
that it fully and effectively meets the
case. Should it be passed by the Leg
islature it would have to be submitted
to the people at the next general
election, which would be held in the
fall of 1905. Its ratification, it is
claimed, would be almost foregone
conclusion.