Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1905-04-06

AMENDMENT EXPLAINED.
fContinued from First Page

himself as a voter, and the adoption
of the amendment will put into the
hands OF the better class Of our col {
ored population a power and in
fuence for good with the illiterate
Of their race which they have never
thus far possessed.
The most generous offers OF the /
opportunities Of education furnished |
by our public schools for more than |
thirty years have not borne the rich
fruit which was hoped for, but
when our colored people realize that
If they cannot read they shall not
vote, it will not be long before the
evils under which our elective
franchise suffers unto degradation
will be greatly lessened.
Indeed, one of the strongest argu-
mekts in favor of the Amendment is
that. so far from being injurious or
unjust to our negro population, twill
on the contrary, il adopted. be pro-
motive of their best interests.
While protecting our white cleo
torate from the contamination OF
debased and ignorant negrosufrage,
il will necessarily stimulate the I'M
educated negro to learn to road and
thereby earn the right to vote.
And if he proved either unwilling
or unable to come up to the easy
educational test prescribed by the
Amendment, he ought not to be per-
mitted TO vote, and there is no hard
ship in excluding him.
CONSTITUTION OF 1864.
Our Constitution of 1864, upon
grounds of public policy then deem
ed to be sufficient, and held by our
Court OF Appeals in Anderson VS..
Baker, % Md. 531. TO be valid and
constitutional, disfranchised by the
most stringent retroactive provision
all who sympathized with the South
ern Confederacy, or had even given
any aid or comfort to the cause of
secession.
This destruction of the pre-exist-
ing right to vote under the Consti-
tuition of 1851 was accomplished by
a partisan Board of Registration
Officers, whose decision was de-
clared TO be absolutely final and
conclusive without appeal.
Surely, if the Acknowledgement of
wo-thirds of the cultured and in
fuential white voters OF the State
was then adjudged to be wise and
expedient in order to save the gov
eminent of the State from the pos
sibility of falling into the hands of
the Southern sympathizers of that
day, the present effort to save our
elective franchise from the deplor-
BILE evils OF the lowest grade of ig-
norant negro suffrage ought not to
be denounced as pernicious, or re.
sisted as unjust or injurious.
On the contrary, it ought to appeal
with persuasive aud controlling force
to all of our people, who, without
distinction of party, believe in the
supremacy of the white race and
> who feel that some degree of intel
ligence should be exacted as the
test of the right to vote.
OBJECTION TO THE AMEND
MENT.
There only remains now for con-
sideration the objection which has
been urged to the Amendment, viz.
that it gives too much power to our
Registration Officers.
But this is sn entire mistake as an
examination of our Election Law
will plainly show.
We find in every registration pre-
cinct bipartisan board of regis
tration officers composed equally OF
Democrats and Republicans, care
fully selected by the Supervisors of
Elections, sworn to do their duty
fairly and impartially, and subject
to heavy penalties for its violation,
with right OF appeal from their de-
cision in every case TO the Circuit
Court for their respective counties,
or to some Judge of the Supreme
Bench of Baltimore city, with fur
Their right of appeal in every case
to the Court of Appeals.
In full view of these most abun-
dant safeguards against error, in
justice and injury, we are called on
to meet an argument that these reg
istration officers will wickedly, cor
ruptly or ignorantly register illit-
crate foreigners or negroes. who
ought not to be registered, or refuse
to register literate foreigners or ne
groes, who ought TO be registered,
and because of the possibility of such
misconduct, we must continue to
bear political evils which an over
whelming majority of our people
have declared TO be intolerablel
There would not be any force in
the argument now being considered,