Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-15
MARYLAND CAMPAIGN
Neither Side Inclined to Talk
With Confidence.
THE INDEPENDENT VOTE
SPECULATION OVER EXTENT OF
THAT FACTION.
Strength Of Anti-Amendment Demo
Gratis Regarded as Significant In
dication of Campaign Outlook.
pecial From a stan correspondent.


| BALTIMORE, Md, October 14.-Neither
| republicans nor democrats are inclined to
| talk with great confidence about the out
| come of the state election beyond the usual
| statements on both sides that everything Is
| progressing satisfactorily. So rar as Balti-
| more Is concerned. the republicans express
| confidence that they will defeat the Poe
amendment to the constitution for the dis
reimbursement of the colored voters. but
they look with much misgiving upon the
| condition in the counties that have large
| colored population. The democrats do not
| concede that they will fail to carry the city
| and declare that they are sure to win
| throughout the state.
| The registration lists will not be COM
pleted for the entire state until next We'd
| nesday, when it will be known how voters
have declared themselves in respect to party
| affiliation. Every one is anxious to learn
| the extent of the independent" vote, as
| that vote will at once be placed to the
credit of the democrats who Will vote
against the amendment. The strength that
| is to be developed by the anti-amendment
! democrats will be regarded as one of the
| most significant indications of the way the
campaign is taking shape that can be def
| njtely known before the election takes
place
! Mr. Leigh Bonsal, chairman of the cam
paign committee Of the Anti-Poe Amend
Yaent Association, stated to me today that
| he is certain that the democratic opponents
| of the plan to disfranchise the colored vot-
ers of the state have gained In strength
very materially since the election Of the
| legislature that adopted the constitutional
amendment For that reason alone he Is
quite sanguine that the vote on the ratifi-
cation of the amendment will result In de-
feat. Mr.. Bonsal is working among what
he terms the best element Of the demo-
cratic party for votes to defeat the amend
ment.
Ambitions Of German.
He declares his belief that there is no
purpose to be served by the ratification OF
the amendment except to promote the polit-
ical ambitions of Senator German. That,
he says is the real issue Of the campaign.
He declares that such action is not neces-
sary in order to keep the white voters IN
control of the state, the colored vote IS
but is per cent, or less than one-f1fth, or
the whole The conditions in Maryland, he
says are far from being comparable to
Mississippi, South Carolina, Alabama and
other southern states that have an over
whelming population Of colored people
people complain about the conduct or
the coiored people in the cars and on the
streets, about the property disadvantages
that they meet by having colored men pus-
chase property adjoining their own hold
ings and of kindred matters said MI.
Bonsal, but the Poe amendment cannot
affect those conditions, whatever they are.
fears that the colored people are threat
ened by any danger of negro domination.
The cry of negro domination Is merely put
forward to serve the purpose OF Senator
German, who, with the negro vote elm
mated and with the power his FRIENDS
would have under the amendment, would be
in control of the machinery to rule the state
for a long time to come.
1t is the counties that have large colored
nominations that the democrats are expect
ing to have come to their aid in the election,
and the republicans are viewing their pros
poets there with great concern. FORMER
Gov Jackson stated today that he felt that
the need for disfranchisement in the coun-
ties was the chief thing at the back of the
Poe amendment He realized that the
amendment would not be apt to. appeal to
the people of this city with the force that
it would have in the counties that have
large colored populations.
II believe we should hold out a helping
hand to the people in these counties" he
said '"They want our help to rid them of
the danger they suffer in having, in some
cases, more colored than white voters
The Naturalized Voters
The greatest attention is being paid to
the naturaIized voters in Baltimore, and
today more literature is being circulated
among that class Of voters than any others.
The Poe amendment has resulted in upset
ting all calculations of the vote of this class
of the people who to help decide the
can and independent democratic managers
are making it very plain to these people
that the plan of dsfranchisement throws
grave doubt on their right TO vote, because
they would make a sorry spectacle in their
efforts to satisfy the supervisors that they
understand the constitution, unless it should
be known beforehand that they would vote
the way the supervisors desired.
The Germans have come out in a state
ment denouncing the Poe amendment, and
very largely the naturalized citizens who
are not familiar with the English language
are being shown how easily they can be
DISTINGUISHED. The republicans seem to
have the best Of the situation in the claim
that this class of citizens would lose their
votes by the operation of the amendment,
and the democrats are endeavoring to sat-
isfy them that their purpose was solely to
deprive the colored people of the ballot.
They point to Virginia and other southern
states evidence of the way in which the
amendment would work. They want the
paturalized citizens to accept their word
that they have no intention Of deprivtng
them of their political rights.
The Naturalized Vote.
1t is very difficult for even the leaders
who are in closest touch with the situation
to learn the sentiment of this class Of vot-
ers. They do not as a rule, speak English
and represent half dozen different nation
alities. Reports are received at headquar-
tiers that they are greatly exercised over
be cast on election day is very hard to de-
termine. They all have an opportunity to
learn the two sides of the amendment as 1t
affects them, both parties have printed
pamphlets In all the languages that are
represented among the foreign element, and
they have been distributed freely.
They form a very important part of the
problem to be determined on election day.
as they will be able to cast several thou
sand votes, and they may be able to throw
the victory one way or the other.
Prominent republicans claim to have evil
dence that during the past few months
there has been a strong trend of public
opinion against the ratification of the
amendment and that they are stronger by
several thousand votes today than they
were a couple of months ago. To such an
extent has this feeling of confidence taken
hold of some of the men who are usually
readily inclined to contribute toward the
expenses of the campaign that they have
doubted whether 1t is worth while to incur
much expense, even for the distribution of
literature. This feeling Of confidence has
no hold on the active leaders in the cam
paign and they are engaged In endeavoring
to impress every one interested in the de-
feat of the Poe amendment that overcor-
fidenee is dangerous thing. c. e. K.