The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-11-24
RACE ISSUE FIGHT
ON IN MARYLAND.
Democratic Machine Opens Up the
Last Phase of a Forbidding
Struggle.
WAKEFIELD FIRM AGAINST MEASURE
The Law, If Such 1t Be, Will PrOba-
bly, Eliminate $4,000 Voters in
the State The Machine Being
Overworked.

Unmindful of the lesson taught by
the election of November s, the Dem
ocratic machine has determined upon
one last desperate play to maintain
its control of the party in MARYLAND.
Chairman Murray Vandiver, of the
State Central Committee. has official
ly demanded, in letter to Governor
Warfield, that his Excellency adver-
tise the negro DISTINGUISHING act pass
ed by the last Legislature to the end
that it may have a place on the Off
cial ballot at the next general election,
which will take place in 1908. This
bill, when it was learned that Cover
nor Warfield would veto it, was not
submitted to him, but was sent to
the clerk of the Court of Appeals.
That the Governor will not grant the
request of Mr.. Vandiver is certain.
and his reply will be stinging re-
| buke TO the machine.
The result of the last election, in the
minds of the best element of the par
ty,settled the negro question in Mary
land. The negroes in many counties
displayed sufficient intelligence to
vote the trick ballots, and the Demo-
Gratis came within 300 votes of losing
the state
But the machine is in IA bad way.
The prestige of Senator German, in
this last election, has suffered stroke
that i'll the minds of his opponents
was the finishing blow to his career.
The machine realizes that its sun has
set unless 10000 negro voters can be
absolutely eliminated from partici-
patton in elections. Hence fight has
been begun that for the next six
months is bound to attract the atten-
ton of the nation to Maryland poll
tics.
In anticipation of the refusal of
Governor Wartield to promulgate the
order for the submission of the con-
stitutional amendment to the people.
the state and the machine have en-
gagged counsel, and the next move will
be to mandamus the Governor. This
will go to one of the circuit courts of
the state, but whatever the decision,
it will Immediately be carried to the
Court of Appeals. The machine open
ly asserts that the decision in their
favor is as good as rendered now.
The main question for the courts to
pass upon is whether bill passed by
the Legislature can become law in
the face of the refusal of the Governor
to approve the measure Leading
lawyers of the state disagree on the
point and great legal fight over the
question will be made. The state will
be represented by Attorney General
Bryan and Edgar H. Cans, both of
them lawyers of the very highest
standing. The machine will be repre-
scented by John P. Poe, the author of
the amendment, and by several other
lawyers of learning and ability.
The amendment which the machine
will move heaven and earth to cause
to be submitted to the people, under
the guise of a negro DISTINGUISHING
measure, constitutes the most in
iquitous attempt ever made in any
state to perpetuate the rule of a DO
litical close corporation. Here are
the clauses that mean business
Every male citizen of the United
States having the above Iqualifica-
tions of age and residence shall be
entitled to be registered so as to be-
come qualified voter, if he be
First-A person able to read any
section of the Constitution of this
state submitted to him by the officers
of registration and to give reason
able explanation of the same, or if
unable, from physical disability, to
read such section, able to understand
and give a reasonable explanation
thereof when read to him by the reg
istration officers; or
Second-A person who on the list
day of January, 1869, or prior thereto
was entitled to vote under the laws of
this state or any other state of the
United States wherein he then resid-
ed: or
Third-Any male lineal descendant
of such last mentioned persons.
No person not thus qualified by
coming under some one of the above
descriptions shall be entitled to be
registered as qualified voter nor be
entitled to vote.
The second and third clause of the