The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-04-01


shall go upon the ballot, and it is now for the
people to decide upon the policy and justice of
the proposed change. 1t does not meet my ap-
proval. am in favor of restricted suffrage, de-
pendent upon educational or property qualiflca-
ton. but the proposed amendment is in my
opinion too radical. and not justified BY existing
conditions.
"The requirement that to entitle citizen to
register and vote he must be able to read any
ted to him by the officers of registration, and
give reasonable explanation OF the same. or II
he cannot read Is able to understand and give
explanation thereof when read to him. puts MIN
entirely at the mercy of the registration officers
It furnishes no uniform standard. What is
reasonable explanation to one set OF ofncers
GERS. An explanation of amy section Of the
Constitution Is. to say the least putting the Dars
pretty high; but when you add to that the power
In the registration officers to pass on the reason
ableness Of explanation you make their opinion
of such reasonableness the supreme test OF
SIN nv opinion. IL is vesting too much power
in the registration officers and is very danger
GUS measure. am not sure, but might be dis
impossible for the Judges of the Court OF APP
peals to be disqualified to vote, IL the registration
officers so mind"
Mr.. Albert s. J. Owens. States Attorney of
Baltimore city, a man who has always been
closely identified with the Democratic organiza-
ton in Baltimore, denounces the amendment
in unmeasured terms and says: II shall do all
in my power to defeat what is known as the Poe
amendment when It comes up for popular rat
ifIcation. / do not consider the question one
that can in any manner be properly made test
of party allegiance. There is no necessity in this
posed. and believe such provision as tbs. in
stead of being evidence of progress, is retro
erosion of quarter OF century. All who love
fof NH HnI fnuo in y
ly registered. honestly cast and honestly count
ed. should join hands, irrespective of party af-
fliation, and defeat the amendment"
U. s. District Attorney John G. Rose says !:
Fundamentally, the objections to the amend
ment is that If it becomes part of the organic
law of the State. Maryland will cease to be a
State governed by the people and for the peo-
ple 1t will be under the absolute domination
of those men or classes who may from time to
time secure control of the election machinery.
Who those men will be ten years hence no man
can say except that they. viii not be men who
will represent the general interests OF the COM
munity. In any struggle for the control of the
window those classes of the community who can
command large masses of ready money and are
the campaign against the amendment will doubt
less be controlled by circumstances. but in my
Judgment the one essential thing that the peo-
pie must not be allowed for one moment to lose
sight of Is that by voting for its adoption they
WIN give up their control over their. own gov
eminent"
Mr.. John E. Semmes, prominent independent
Democrat of Baltimore city, says the proposed
amendment is bound in the end to react upon
the party proposing it and added: ANY at
tempt to disfranchise particular class of voters
is unfair, and should not be tolerated. am
thoroughly convinced that proper educational
qualification would be in the best interests of
the State. It would seem that man who will
not accept an education in those days could only
vote according to the direction of someone else.
It were best for the State that he will not vote
at all. rather than under such conditions. Even
taking the low view that honesty is the best
policy it is maxim which any party or any
State cannot overlook. A 'grandfather's clause,
as is provided in this amendment, cannot but
react upon its authors"
Major John I. Yellot, of the Towson bar, says
"The avowed purpose of the amendment is to
deprive the negro of the right of suffrage con-
ferred on him by a Constitutional amendment
accepted by the State without violation of such
amendment. The accomplishment of such pur-
pose in q direct way, conceding the right and
sound policy of such legislation or Constitu-
tional enactment, would be difficult, indeed, if
possible at all, and indirect methods must be re-
sorted to. Indirection in such matters is dan
gerous as rule. and likely to result in more
harm than good to the public generally. In this
instance the second and third sections of the
proposed amendment are useless, and not need
ed except to limit the scope of the first section
and make it apply to the colored voter only,
thus creating and perpetuating political in
equality that cannot be otherwise than hurtful
to the two races, which must live together, un,
work together for the advancement OF the In
fefiOr race. a -.
''"In my opinion, it was great mistake to give
the negro the unqualified right of suffrage when
freed. It should have been qualified by requir-
ing fitness of some kind. 1t was given, the Civ
Hear e Wtho1t
GUS harm or detriment to the States welfare.
Such disturbance of that right at this time in
plated by the first section of this amendment
must result in serious harm to both races under
existing circumstances. Their mutual good re-
respect, the one for the other, rather than the
widening of the existing and natural breach be-
tween them. Nature has separated the races
ty, and with this separation there is a natural
antagonism that should not be increased by a
lot Of politicians of any political faith for no good
their own dangerous power.
APART from this consideration of the question
the proposed amendment should. in my humble
opinion, be defeated because its enforcement
will require the appointment of lower stand
ard of election officials than we now have. 1t is
by this means only that the short-sighted pro-
moters Of this thing propose to stife all indie
pendent, unselfsh and patriotic political senti-
ment and turn the State over to themselves so
effectually that opposition to their rule will be
impossible. Our people have had taste of this,
and cannot believe they want to go back to a
political slavery from which they have escaped.
We have seen rascality and fraud reign abso-
lutely in our elections; this has been corrected
by the independent voter casting the same bal
lot as the negro. They have voted together in
the past for the redemption of the State from
the misrule of those who now seek to iutrench
themselves in perpetual power by means of this
amendment.
LET us have an intelligent ballot, moral
test, an educational test, a property test or any
other kind of test for the voter, but let 1t be
stamped with democratic equality and free from
the degrading political machinery required to
enforce this amendment, If adopted. If educa-
ted. intelligent and honest election officers fa-
miliar with the Constitution and capable of do
ing what many lawyers cannot do, viz, pass on
a reasonable construction of any section of the
Constitution, are to be appointed. then the
amendment amounts to nothing. Such cannot
be had and will not be appointed, but the tools
of political bosses will fill the places, and the
treasonableness' of constitutional construction
will depend wholly on the political sentiment of
the proposed voter. This Is wrong. vicious and
dangerous"
THE LATEST weapon of man is q floating