The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-06-08
OPPOSING THE SUFFRAGE AMEND
MENT,

field who is not in accord with his
party in its effort to impose upon the
people the Poe Suffrage Amendment.
Prominent Democrats are beginning
to speak out in opposition to the
scheme of the managers and they
don't mince words in denouncing the
proposal to adopt such dangerous
and radical measure i'll Maryland.
States Attorney Owens, Mr.. Alfred
S. Niles and Mr.. Archibald H. TAYLOR,
all prominent Democrats and leaders
of the Baltimore bar gave out inter
views recently giving strong reasons
for opposing the Amendment Civic
organizations are speaking out
against it, including the Baltimore
Reform League, the Citizens Union,
an organization made up of a number
of German societies, the Methodist
Minister'S Association and other
prominent organizations. These as
sociations have come out against it
in the most vigorous manner. The
Democratic managers have raised a
large fund and are determined to win
in their fight to make Maryland a
one party State. Their appeal to
race prejudice is merely cloak to
hide their Interior motive. Seeing
the success of the movement in
Southern States to disfranchise the
colored voter, they seize upon the
idea and ende&vor to apply it, with
amendments, to Maryland, where
the negro is out-numbered FIVE to one
and where he has never dominated
public affairs and never will. In
their greed the trainers of the Poe
law have gone farther than the
people of the South have gone and
have added qualifications that will
disfranchise negroes, Germans, Irish
and other nationalities who have be.
come residents of Maryland later than
Jan. l, 1869. These are the tests to
by applied by officers of registration:
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, but able to under
stand and give a reasonable explana-
ton thereof when read to him by the
registration officers; or
Second-A person who on the first
day OF January, 1869, or prior there
to, was entitled to vote under the
laws of this State or of any other
State of the United States where he
then resided; or
Third-Any male lineal descendant
OF such last mentioned person. No
person not thus qualified by coming
under some one of the above descrip-
tions shall be entitled to be register
ed as a qualified voter nor be entitled
to vote.
Do you want to have yo1tr right to
vote depend upon these provisions or
the within of the registration officers?
Do you want to clothe the present
Democratic party organization with
absolute power to control public af-
fairs indefinitely? If you don't, then
you owe it to yourself and to your
State to oppose the scheme with the
weight of your personal influence and
vote. Take the first test: Under this
test registration officers, who are
sworn to perform their duties impair
TALLY are expected" to eliminate
such negroes as are Objectionable to
the Democratic bosses. There are
many in this State whom they need
in their business and use regularly.
If they use their registratres to get
rid of only those negroes whom they
don't want, isn't it fair to assume
that they will, when the political nee
essity for it arises, use this power
against the white man, too? The
right to vote ought not to depend
upon the whim or caprice of any set
of men, but should be stated in clear,
definite terms, applicable to all alike.
The second test confers the right to
vote upon any one-illiterate or liter
ate who had the right to vote on or
prior to Jan. /, 1863. No matter how
unworthy or how igorant or what his
moral character is now. Is this fair?
Does such a provision truly interpret
the true civic spirit and sense of JUS
tice of the people of Maryland? What
becomes of the plea for an intelligent
electoratey The third test is even
worse. ANY. male lineal descendant
OF such persons as could vote on or
before Jan. /, 1869 can be registered.
Woodworking, industrious citizens
and their sons who haye come among
us from foreign lands are barred out
while some ignoramus, the "son of
somebody is favored, no matter how
unworthy Maryland justice will not
let negro prejudice entice them to do
such palpable wrong. The Demo
cratic managers must bear the odium
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