The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-06-10
Alleged Democrats.

A Baltimore newspaper has been parading
double column articles by alleged Democrats,
in opposition to the adoption of the franchise
amendment to the Constitution. The writers
all belong to the Reform League, professed
non partisan body, but whose criticisms are
invariably of the Democratic party and nomi-
nees. There is not straight Democrat in
the organization. 1t is the refuge of some
who once trained with the party, and left it
because their ambitions for political prefer
ment were not gratifed.
The articles against the amendment are in.
teresting, owing to the lack of knowledge as
to the amendments shown, and amusing on
account of the great superiority in honesty
aud civic virtue the writers assume.
While these are interesting and amusing,
something much more interesting would be
record OF votes cast by these yrtous and saint
" citizens since 1892. How often since has any
one of them voted a straight Democratic tick
ct, or for a majority of candidates a ticket?
The voting record of Edgar H. Cans since
the time he tried to undermine his chief, the
late Charles Leeds Kerr, and failed to receive
the nomination for States Attorney, would
have been an instructive addition to his arti-
Gle, as showing how ardent(?) Democrat he
is. All these men claim to be devoted TO
Democratic principles. Their opposition is
to bossism, rings NC, but no complaint is
uttered so long as they profit by the aid of So
called bosssm and rings. When they fail in
gratifying their ambitions, they suddenly dis
cover how honorable they are, and how their
bosoms swell with civic pride, aud straightway
Join the Reform League 10 train under the
leadership Of Charles j. Bonapsrte and other
political purists, and soon learn TO criticise
everything Democratic and how to vote with
a party whose leaders are all practical polite
ians and half of whose voting strength is COM
posed of negroes, large proportion of whom
are ignorant, shiftless and vicious. To vote
such party in power is their idea of reform;
the highest act of true citizenship; the acme
of civic virtue.
Hear what John f. Semmes says
sin considering the Poe amendment, 1t
seems to me that the fact-which must be ad |
mitted-thati il is not honest or straightforward
legislation should be sufficient to condemn 1t. -
When did he become more honest than !
Hon. John p Poe And more honest than |
two-thirds Of the members of the State Senate |
and of like number of the House OF Dele |
gates Who is Mr.. Semmes, that he should |
say that these twothirds of the General As |
sembly of Maryland did deliberately vote to |
submit to the voters of Maryland a piece of |
dishonest legislation? He is a member of |
Bonaparte's Reform League. Of this body |
the Baltimore Sun had something to say on |
November :. 1908, which may account for the |
assumed superiority of Mr.. Semmes. Here |
is an extract from the Suns article;
Our excellent friends ofthe Reform League |
of this city seem to be guided IN their way /
through the world by a sort of fixed idea" 1
theory that nearly everything that is Demo |
cratic is wiekedly and irretrievably wrong. /
and if anything happens which at all meets /
their approval-and such things, fortunately, |
seldom happeu-theY eackle over il much as
a chicken cock caekles after the hen has laid 4
an egg They fill the land with the din Of
their noisy exnberance. Ii is diveIting 20 OBJ
serve the regularity with which these good /
people emerge from their Pickwiekian debat
ing society at the beginning Of each campaign
armed with their be II resolved and where
asses, and hold up their hands in pious horror
at the general wickedness, exclaiming in the
language Of the Psalmist, There is none that
doeth good-no, not one''-except those who
agree 10 our way of thinking. Aud then they
proceed in an iudIscriminaie onslaught upon
character and reputation. A sewing circle is
a quiet retreat IN comparison. Everybody is
dishonest; that is, If he is suspected of being /
a Democrat"
The proposed amendment to the Constitu /
ton, designed to cut of from voting the IL 4
norant and shiftless and vicious negroes, and 10
stop further immigration to this State OF more
ofthat class ofpeople, is of Democratic origin
and is submitted to the people by a Demo
cratic Legislature by an endorsement Of more
than II, 600 majority Of all the voters aud fully
10000 majority Of the white voters. The
fraucise amendment is Observation-Disclosures
Mr.. Semmes' opposition. As reason, Mr..
Semmes felt incumbent to say something, so
he just simply said the amendment IS not
honest. 1t IS not true. bat such an expires
sion COMFORTS with the self-assumed civil vir-
tue and superior honesty Of the Reform
Iaaguers