The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-10-06
ASSUMPTION NOT JUSTIFIED
IN THE PREMISES.

we are uol quite pTcpdTtu 10 totlNM
the Examiner though all the intricacies
OF its subtle assumptions in regard to
what might happen in case the Di-fran-
chising Amendment is adopted by the
people of Maryland. 1t is its game to
confuse the situation with as many
'ifs" and perhaps" and ''in conse-
quence offs" as possible. 1t seeks to put
all the obstacles in the way of the pas
sage OF this measure that it can ii d
aud from the character of its wora to
date, i'll Imagination factory" will lie
put to the necessity of working over
time
Our comment on its islesding para
graph last week was in perfect accord
with the substance thereof, and We say
most positively that il has no authority
to declare that ttcO wicked and disre-
putabe ring registration officers will
attempt to prevent any white man from
exercising the right of franchise.
Il is glazing misconcep ion # the
purpose of the Amendment and an al
tempt to discredt the attitude of the
party oa the supreme question Il the
hour What might have happened
years ago, has nothing to do with Il {
present case. We are not deal ng with
the past-the present has our sole con-
cern and the issue is so pain ami I'M
compromising in every respect that 10
one eau presume To beci I'd i, with
fairy tales of fraud" aud "tIickery".
This has been the wild cry of the Re
publicaDs at every election and like the
thief in oliver Twis;" who joins the
persuing crowd. they sell fraud,
fraud" fraud" aud "trickery",
"trickery," 'trirEery, un 1.-The echoes
return the cry to them with compound
interest. The Ee ple are tired of such a
baby game, especially when their own
skirts are II, eped in the mir OF olilcsl
debsuchery 10 such AZ extent u at the
State Prisons has held some OF their
- licked AID "disTeputable" operators.
Not only in Maryland is this true, but
in other States their accomplish d lead
er>and henchmen have grown so bold in
corruption and rolitical manipula ion.
that in a recent in-tance, the people
arose aud drove the 'rascals" out.
Conn arisons would be odious and not
any oodelectable Political conditions
here, as Well as elsewhere. are constant
/ Il improving. at least in the adminfstra-
ton ofthe niachi' cry Of the law. Trey
can never be perfect, but the adoption
o. the Constitutional Amendment vii
do more to put them on higher bases
in this State than all the other means
in tie power If fifty Legi,latu :.
With vernal curruptible electorate.
corruption will endure and rye &C.
cause OF such presence Ii j. the Oh
ject of the Amendment To rid Mary
land OF this por ion of lis undesirable
voters and all the efforts of the Repub-
ltcan party, its newspapers aud its
/ symp3thizeTs, cannot misIepre>ent the
fact. We herewith republish fsr the
benefit Of the Examine. and all 9th r
who may be in touch with ct tolerate
its method of campaigning, a few para
/ craps from the Democr ST lie Plat.
form, which gives 10 clear, coucise, un-
mis- akable and unquestionatle lsu-
| guage, the causes far, the aims objects
and purposes Of the Amendment which
| is now engrosSiug 81 much attentiol
Note please, the last paragraph. espec-
4 tally note lis promise to the people.
that the party will, in the event of the
passage of the Amendment, continue
bipartisan Boards of Registration, and
| that arbitrary and unjust denial o.
registration to men entitled to vote
white or black, will be practically i'm
possible, and will not be attempted,
The excerpts from the platform follow:
( Our Democratic Legislature of 1904
clothed with this power and exclusively
charged with this duty aud response
bility, proceeded with care and delibe-
ration t0 frame an Amendment. which,
while avoiding all conflict with the
Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments
ofthe Constitution of the United States,
will, if adopted, rescue US in Maryland
from the blight of ignorant and debased
negro suffrage
ut will keep from our registration
books the names of thousands of ignc.
rant and venal negroes totally unfit to
vote, and will thus go far to lessen the
evils of absolute and Unrestricted negro
suffrage 1t will give US the great and
iuestimable boon of intelligent man.
hood suffrage aud secure to US the price
less benefit of the political supremacy
ofthe white people of the State
And these ends will be accomplish
ed righteously, honestly, by fair means;
for with bipartisan boards of registra-
ton. constant attendance of party
] watchers in the registration room aud
I full right of appeal to the courts. pro-
vlded and secured by law, which we
I pledged ourselves to maintain, arbitrary
and unjust denial of registration to men.
white or black, truly entitled to be
registered, Will be practically impossi
ble"
1t does not lie in the power of The