The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-07-28
EVERY TRUE D EMOC Graf
WILL VOTE FOR THE
AMENDMENTS.

1t seems that the Constitutional
Amendment proposition has rallied
both for and against it an amazing host
70 cohorts-partiZans OF the deepest hue,
and each side rampant for their con-
victions, be they upright or question
able. So far it seems that the opposi-
ton consists of three elements-white
Republicans, black Republicans some
say there is only one class of Republic
cans, and mixed Democrats. OF course
very little attention is paid to the wall
ings of the Republicans, for it is nat
ural that the leaders should view with
alarm the prospect of losing their me-
gro vassals and slaves aud will do any
thing under heaven to thwart the will
of the people this fall The negroes
too, are acting within natural expecta-
tions when they oppose it to a man,
for with political suffrage eliminated
their chance to add their mental and
ignorant vote to that of the white cleo
torate of the county and State will be
gone, and with it the chance of making
a speculation, according to the import
ance OF the election at hand. 1t is
their only interest in elections and
among the average class the indlvid-
ual or measure represented makes little
impression aud is often unknown.
Their own party has to pay them to
vote and many of them have openly
declared that they would welcome the
day that either the State or government
would take away their votes. Now,
when the opportunity is at hand, they
become honest, earnest and indignant
Republicans and resent the assault by
the Democrats upon the suffrage.
The last element is a puzzle tn us, and
( ittakes more than the ordinary amount
of Intelligence to properly qualify it. In
Baltimore recently list of about four
hundred persons was published as hav-
/ ing signed petition to the public ask
! lug that every means be taken to
prevent the State Convention from en-
| dOrsing the amendments Some very
prominent names were attached and
then there were others scarcely known,
who, no doubt, took advantage of the
opportunity to absorb some cheap no.
torlety at the expense of others repu-
lations. The men at the head of this
small rebellion against party plan
and measure, ratified by the majority
of the voters in the State two years
ago when Governor Warfield was
elected, are well known in Baltimore,
and this fact makes il possible for them
to go about their work to better adj
vantage. Whats in a name?" All!
friends, there is much, as we have seen
lately in the current happenings. We
have seen names 60 up and down like
corks on the placid river, when the
| willy game fish mobiles at the tempt
ing bait below. We have seen valued
names suddenly become as hideous
Nightmares, loaded down with the
odium of some vile business conspiracy
or financial wreckage and the pos
SCISSOR eXpunged from every social con-
nection that before made such differ
ence. We have seen honored sires,
grown grey-headed in the service of
mighty institutions, suddedly hurled
down from the lofty pinnacle of fame
and fortune and kicked and cuffed in
the depths of despair below.
Well may it be said that only
the vacillatiDg and purposely weak
would think of following any
cause or party simply because it had for
a leader some one who had an
honored name. What of the princi-
pies, the motives, the aims, the neces-
sary constituent policies, and objects
to be achieved. These things must
come before us before we can satisfac-
torily give adherence to any move
meut, much less one that has the very
fundamental principles of our great
State in the balance.
Some of the men at the head of this
refractory movement against b e
amendments have come out in the
public press in regard to the same and
it is not too much to say that their
arguments are wholly had.
One now occurs to us. The Crescent
Club, of Baltimore, few nights ago
declared against the amendment. One
ofthe reasons was that it was not sub
mitted to the Governor for his APP
proval. That matter has been most eff
fectively disposed of by the highest
tribunal in the State-the Court of
Appeals-which ordered its advertise
ment by the Governor, and stated in
the strongest words that its legality
and validity had not in any sense been
impaired thereby.
Another one of the reasons given
is that it will be IAN attempt to incor-
porate into one political institution
the doctrine of hereditary right"
The trouble is that the perpetrators
of the negro suffrage outrage did not
consider the question of right at all
when they foisted upon the country
particularly the new South-hordes of
Ignorant negro voters, who totally I'M