The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-06-24
The Glass of Negroes Who Will Be
Invited to Maryland Should the
Franchise Amendment Be
Defeated.

Following a game of crap on an excursion
train out of Atlanta, Georgia, last Saturday,
in which twelve negroes were killed and sew
eral more seriously wounded, Rev. j. A.
Davis, presiding elder of the Atlanta district
of the African NJ. E. Church, scored the ris-
ing generation of negroes in his sermon on
Sunday in the presence of a congregation of
1000 colored people. Rev. Davis said
1.-THE tactics and procedure of the new negro
is destroying him. His reckless disregard for
moral purity, disposition to ignore the church
and the gospel, love for life of ease and
pleasure, an ignorant and malicious disregard
for the laws OF God and the rights of men that
is daily being practced by the majority of the
race convince me that the negro is a lawless
being, and he is a liar if he says he is not.
1.-THE negro is lawless character without
rule in the home Therefore he can have but
little in his church and society. His respect
for law and order comes from sense of fear.
He does right either from fear of punishment
or hope of reward.
81 need not say there are exceptions; |
need not say there are good men and women
in the race, but they are in the hopeless mi
nority.
'Fully one-half of the negro preachers
should be out upon the farms where they can
best serve the people. The church is ruined
with drunkards aud debased characters who
live in bad rooms and sEeak up and down al
leys and streets all night and come into the
church and take the front seats.
at is not the white mans prejudice, lynch
ings or mistreatment of the negro that will
destroy him half as fast as his bad conduct
and habits and love of immortality.
This is the class of negroes who are migra-
tory; who run away from justice; who delight
in primary contests aud elections; who live in
idleness and scorn labor; who steal and pilfer;
who assault women and commit lesser crimes.
This is the class who viii come to Maryland
from the States south of the Potomac if the
proposed amendment TO the Constitution, de-
signed to prevent the ignorant, idle and VIC
ious negroes from voting. is defeated.
This is the class whom Charles ]. Bona
parte, Attorney General Bryan, Edgar II.
Cans, Leigh Bonsal, the Baltimore American
and News would invite to come to Maryland,
by having the franchise amendment defeated.
1t is astonishing that people who have been
advocating purity of elections aud higher aims
in government; who proclaim civic virtue and
declare for higher electorate, should now,
when the opportunity to attain these IS pre-
scented, turn about and stand in opposition.
Ii is astonishing, too, that men who sbhor
insults to females aud who would use the
hangman's moose in the case of assaults,
would BY their acts invite lawless class 10
this State and expose to greater danger the fair
women of Maryland.
Their claim that too much power is vested
with registration officers, is two trivial, if true,
TO be considered, in view of the evils to flow
from larger influx Of the ignorant, lawless
and vicious negroes Of the South. But the
contention is based upon Il superstition that
the Democratic and Republican registrars
will be corrupt. Such a supposition rests
upon belief that the Boards Of Supervisors
will select corrupt men for registrars, and that
Governor Warfeld will appoint dishonest
Supervisors.
There is a great crisis in the welfare Of
Maryland presented at this time. And it is
not to be lightly considered by voters. The
progress and prosperity Of the State is iuvolv-
ed. The peace and good order Of society IS
involved. The security of lite aud property
is involved The saneify Of oar acomea is
iarolred Constitutions and laws may be
changed II will be more difficult TO get rid
Of undesirable citizens and voters