The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-03-10

] INTO prominence as the years rolled
/ by. That question was whether the
/ state or the federal government is
/ supreme. 1t was aided. apparently.
/ III its solution, first on ne side and
/ then Oh the other by acts of legisia-
/ lures. decisions of courts and statutes
/ OF congress, and for three-fourths of a
century no student of history nor
, nation of the earth was able to fore
tell the result as based upon the trend
OF events. Seryitude was cardinal
doctrine of the commemorative be
lieYing ia states rights-a doctrine
acknowledged by all today to be alb
soidtely incompatible with a free
democracy
The fathers and founders of the
Republic died in despair of solving
the problems. In congress in 1775
John Adams declared, You have
rights antecedent to all earthly gov
ernments, rights that cannot be re
PEELED nor restrained by human laws,
rights derived from the great law
giyer of the universe The immortal
Jefferson, the great apostle of democ-
racy, in his early years wrote: I'VE
hold these truths to be self-evident
that all men are created equal that
they are endowed by their Creator
with certain inalienable rights that
among these are life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. But in his
old age he cried out in despair: 81
tremble for my country when | reflect
that God is just, that his justice can
not sleep forever The question was
finally and forever solved and every
person within this presence recognizes
the iinalitY and Justice of that decis-
ion, but it took the greatest inferno
cine war of all time TO seal that decis-
lou, and with an expenditure of
money and loss of life appalling to
our sister nations. "Retributive JUS
tice must fulfill her destiny
The federal government, with right
and justice on it's side, ha | behind it
the two essentials of the foundations
of every stable government-men and
money. Might in the final destiny of
all things allies itself with right and
must prevail. 1t is thus all-conquer
ing, all powerful. All government in
its final, ultimate analysis, must de-
pend for its very existence on its men
who are able to bear arms and the
money il gets from taxation. He who
measures up to either of these and can
bear arms or pay taxes, if the COVER :
ment shall be pure and perfect and
democratic, must have a voice in ma
king that government.
Let us examine briefly the import
Of this bill. If my father or grand
father was not a voter on Jan. 1, 1868,
| might be an alumnus of the Hopkins
University and the Harvard Law
School, but if the partizan election
official before whom | came to register
chose to decide that my interpreta-
tion of that clause of the constitution
wl5eh he used as test were not sat
isfactory to him, [ am DISTINGUISHED,
and from his decision there is no
earthly appeal. The proper interpre-
tatiOn of the constitution of the Uni
ted States is a question on which the
greatest constitutional lawyers of our
land ever since its foundation have
been hopelessly divided. But it re-
mains for the MARYLAND Legisl9+ ire
of 1904 to determine t the suffrage
OF every one of our cllIrenS save those
whose grandfathers We're voters Jan.
, /, 1868, must be dependent upon the
proper Interpretation Of that great
document, on which the wisest fail,
and that the court of last resort shall
be an election otficial-in spirit, if not
in letter, the partisan creatures of
this legislative body.
This is the most despotic PROPOSE
ton which has ever seriously con
fronted the American people. 1t
makes a tar out of this partisan
election official with more autocratic
powers than the ruler of the Russias.
We are led to infer from the trend
of events in the far East at this very
moment, that all manking, all civil
zation is swinging toward two poles,
viz: DespoLism and Democracy. Some
students of history go so far as to
foretell a war of extermination-a
great final war-and make this, the
Goth century, the scene of the conflict
It's outcome, it matters not how much
it is bedimned by distance or attend.
ant circumstances, is inevitable. Nc
| despotism can abide the cannonadine
of the centuries. Right, combined
with might, must and shall prevail
They who by their might or theil
money uphold the government must
make it. These are Fundamental
constitutional All other questions
of citizenship are legislative. We all
deplore the punishment of just man
We also say that two criminals might
better go free than that one just man
be punished. This question of sut
frage is sacred right. 1t is the
highest privilege, the greatest pre-
rogative with which man is endowed
in this republic. The denying of the
right to any man who possesses a
fundamental qualification seems par
allel to the case of the execution OF a
just man. Maryland has been very
considerate and has even enlarged hel
citizenship by removing one of the
| fundamental qualifications, viz the
payment of taxes-which is commend
able-and shall we bedim her glory
and pervert the very course of gov
eminent by restricting and abridging
the other fundamental qualification
| While we love to quote Alcaus OF
old on what constitutes state, =
viz: men, high minded men" Why
are we training the youth, the very
flower of our land, in the highest
skill and learning in military and
naval affairs in our great national
schools and spending in this city at
the present time 15,000,0 900 that we
may be second to no other nation in
our defense AGAINST a FOREIGN foe