Evening star., 1905-10-19
THE POE AMENDMENT
Provisions Which Disfran-
chise Certain Voters.
POINTS EN- UMER A TED
REAL BASIS OF CONTROVERSY rs
GoRMAN DOMINATION.
Campaign Not Ringing Entirely Upon
the Question of the Negro
in Politics.

the Question of the Negro
in Politics.
Special From a STAFF Correspondent
HAGERSTOWN, Md, October ia
great many people have no very clear un-
derstanding of the manner in which the
Poe amendment to the constitution Of Mary
land will act in disfranchising the illiterate
voters of the state. The provisions of the
amendment under which the illterate vot-
erS may be disfranchsed provide that every
citizen of the United States having the gen.
eral qualifications of age and residence
shall be entitled to be registered to
become a qualified voter if he be-
First: A person able to read any sec
ton of the constitution of this state sub
mitted TO him by the officers of registra-
ton and to give reasonable explanation of
the same; or, If unable to read such sec
ton, is able to understand and give rea-
sonable explanation thereof when read to
him by the registration officers; or,
Second: person who on the list day
or January, 1863, or prior thereto, en-
titled to vote under the laws of this state
o. of any other state of the United States
wherein he then resided; or
Third: Any male lineal descendant of
such aforementioned person who may be
twenty-one years of age or over in the
year 1906.
NO person not thus qualified by coming
under some one of the above descriptions
shall be entitled to be registered as quail
fiel voter, nor be entitled to vote"
These provisions were copied from the
Virginia law and the democrats are declar-
ing. In reply to republican criticism that the
law will disfranchise thousands Of worthy
white men, that 1t has not done SO in Vir-
g1Dia; that the purpose of the law there, as
tt1r 10 nIi, |,
that it has done The republicans have
retorted that such a result could be Sc
cured only by an open violation of their
oaths by the officers who are appointed to
administer the law, as they sworn to
justly administer the law without dscrimi-
nation between citizens. 1t could only be
enforced, they say, provided the men who
are in charge of the registration booths act
on the principle that white man should
ba allowed to pass his examination because
he is white and a colored man refused
certificate of qualification because he is
co1ored.
The Basis of the Controversy.
But that does not go to the basis of
the controversy over this election law
The campaign now under way in this state
does not hinge entirely upon the question
as to whether the coiored voters are to
be disfranchised That is but one of the
elements of the problem. Back of 1t all,
and more important than any other ques-
ton in stirring up the republican managers
and the anti-Gorman democrats, whose
name is legion, is the acknowledged fact
that If this law is placed upon the statute
books what is known as the democratic
machine dominated by Mr.. German, will
be placed in power for an indefinite time.
1t is declared by republican and inde
pendent democrats that the power that
would be placed in the hands of the demo-
mi m
dominate all elections would be absolute.
1t is that view that gives the campaign
its greatest vitality. A great many people
in all parts of the state say that were the
single question of the disfranchisement of
the colored voters brought before the peo-
pie next month. in such clear way as
to be divorced from every other question,
1t would be approved.
1t is not that the republicans as party
would not resist 1t, and not that county
committees everywhere would not work to
defeat such a movement, but they say
there would be an ample majority at the
polls to put such an amendment through.
Now and then one hears discussion of
this question from the standpoint of the
ethics involved in it, whether it would be
just and constitutional to deprive a large
class of citizens of their votes when they
had been given political equality by the
nation at large. But for every discussion
of that kind there are ten that dwell upon
the proposition as merely a means by
which the ballot box shall be corrupted in
legal way for indefinite period of
time.
The Understanding Clause"
Every one acknowledges that the "un-
derstanding clause" could be used to dis
franchise thousands of white men, both
of the naturalized and the native born H.
li;erate classes. The democrats say it
would not operate in that way, but the
republicans declare that once ratified, the
law would be manipulated to give a uni
form democratic majority for all time TO
come, the size of the majority to be ar
ranged to suit the occasion. They say the
majorities might not be made extensively
large, but they would have every uualifi-
cation of reliability. Except in the case
of some unthinkable breakdown of the
democratic machine, they say the neces-
sary majority would be forthcoming
The understanding clause" would give
10 the men in charge of the registration
booths discretion in determining what
voters gave evidence by their answers to
questions that they understand the state
constitution. They would have power to
ask one applicant how many men could be
governor of Maryland at one time. If he
should know enough to make correct
reply TO that question he might be regis
tered without further parleying. But he
might be asked whether a conviction shat!
work corruption of blood.or forfeiture of
estate, and IL he replied categorically he
HEent pe asked 10 explain the section or
the constitution that so provided He
might be asked to further explain any of
all of the following sections of the consti-
tuition:
THAT no law to attaint particular persons
of treason or felony ought to be made in
any case or any time hereafter.
That sanguinary laws ought to be avoid
ed as far as 1t is consistent with the safety
of the state.
That no man ought to be taken or i'm
prisoned or disseized of his freehold. liber-
ties or privileges, or outlawed or exiled or
In any manner destroyed or deprived of his
life. liberty or property, but by the judg-
ment of his peers or by the law of the land
mo ex post facto law ought to be made
or retrospective oath or restriction be i'm
posed or required.
''The general assembly shall pass no law
suspending the writ of habeas corpus"
Methods of Regulation.
Any applicant for registration under the
proposed Poe amendments might be exam
ined upon any or all of the above sections
of the state constitution, and IL he did not
reply to the satisfaction of his questiOner
he could be forthwith deprived of the right
nf haf