New-York tribune., 1905-03-27
CRISIS IN MARYLAND
Gormans amendment to Disfran-
chiSe Negroes Must BE Voted On.

Baltimore. March 70 (SpecaD.-Senator Germans
constitutional amendment for the wholesale dis
franchisement of the fifty thousand negroes In
Maryland which, the State Court of Appeals has
just decided. Governor Warheld must promulgnte
so that 1t can be voted by the citizens next
november will again line UP the independent
democrats with the Republicans against the Dem
ocratic machine
Although Governor Warfeld is in favor of the
oisiranchisement Of illiterate negroes he refused
to approve the amendment, and Attorney General
Bryan another Democrat vigorously defended the
Governors position before the courts in the suit
Instituted by Chairman Vandver, of the Demo
cratic State Committee. for mandamus to compel
the Governor to promulgate the amendment
IL Is a desperate effort the part of the Cor
man machine to perpetuate it's power and control.
The narrow escapes which they have recently
experienced determined them TO go the limit,
and this they have done in the amendment, which
contains nearly all Of the Objectionable features
of the laws of the far Southern States
Injustice is found In the first of the three tests
provided for suffrage. injustice apparent as
to call for the severest condemnation the part
of the Governor 1t this first test that led
MIN TO tell the party managers he would not give
his approval to the measure. Under it the regis
tratlon judges are made judges Of applicants
ability to be able 20 read any section of the con-
stitution of he State, and to give reasonable
PLANTATION thereof. It is obvious what unlimited
power over the suffrage this would give the
registration officers who also judges OF elec-
tion, and who are frequently Of very limited
education themselves. BY securing the appoint.
ment of avowed party workers these positions,
the Democratic managers could put themselves in
a position of wellnigh absolute control of the
Maryland suffrage.
The law also includes the notorious "grandfather's
clause. which puts premium ignorance among
whites and ban similar ignorance among
pIacks Under its provisions all are exempted from
the educational clause who had right to vote on
January 1, 1859. whose fathers or grandfathers
| possessed such right. The ingenuity shown in
| the devising of this clause would be entitled to
| some admiration IL not for the fact that it
is such constituencies invention Under 1t almost
! any natve white man can vote, matter how
illterate he may be- while the native colored man
| must stand test to bs applied by who seek
| his disfranchisement
| The courts decision in sustaining the validity
/ OF tho amendment passed by the legislature is
the signal for the opening OF what promises to be
| the fercest campaign ever waged in Maryland, in
| which party lines viii be obliterated.
CONFIDENT IT WILL BE DEFEATED.
Chairman John 3. Hanna, of the Republican
| State Central Committee, is confident that the
| amendment viii be defeated by the people "Regu-
| lar Republicans will of course be against the
/ whole amendment general principles" said he
| because it is a scheme avowedly to eliminate
| large part Of the electorate which votes almost
soldly with party, and the plain effect would
| be to reduce us for many years to n position of
| hopeless minority. 1t Will also be opposed by
| many who are not Republicans because they be-
| leve strong minority party is necessary in the
| interest of good government, and that much has
| been accomplished in that direction by the Repub-
oan party in this State. They recognize that this
| amendment is a companion piece to the unfair
| election law passed by the Democratic managers
and is part of a general scheme to place those
same managers in absolute control of not only
tne state put the Democratic party. These power
IuI eleHeNtS being opposed to the amendment, /
But we wf1l leave no stone unturned until the
| last minute OF the campaign. So far efforts
i'm
touch with the workers in different parts of the
cation. This will at first be done by the crcula-
ton of pamphlets and circulars ana through the
| the State is made aware of the inquity Of this
As far as can be ascertatned. the methods out
| lined by Mr. Hanna will be practically the same
agreed by all that the campaign will be one of
Should the amendmenf be adoped 6e Gf
party, Mr.. Hanna thinks, will bs hopelessly in the
it be- deeated the ect upon OF f6e o ama
cratic fadl party IN Maryland might be tremendous
local d3ets next fall must necessarily place him
ment or be repudiated by the Democratic state
Committee. which would insure his defeat. In
spell defeat either way. In some of the counties
but in Baltimore City and many Of the Counties
| 1t would seem that if the temper of the voters
| could be elected.
RESORT TO WHOLESALE FRAUDS.
| 1t is believed by many that the Democratic man.
| ayers preparing to force the amendment
! through by wholesale frauds in the counties 1t
| has been pointed out that there is no appeal to
! the courts from the returns given by the super
| visors OF elections in the on an amendment
| and thus there be review. If the super
| viaors, for instance in a number Of precincts
where the vote was largely against the amendment
should simply omit the figures in making up their
returns. 1t is said there could be legal remedy.
1t Is impossible to estimate at present how many
voters would be disfranchised by the proposed
| amendment, because of the very fact that The
| tent Of the Acknowledgement would depend en-
ufeIy upon the WhlIn OF the registration officials.
books now. and it is safe to say that not a cor
| poraIS guard of these would be left. The
census places the number white lIiterate voters
would be protected by the grandfather clause"
Leading independent Democrats, the men who
| have fought Germans methods for years. and who
| helped TO turn the State to the Republicans
are coming out against the amendment and calling
upon The Independents to unite to defeat it Roger
| w: Gull, one of these leaders says:
opposition OF all voters who understand its legal
effect, which-apart from its purpose to eliminate
from eectiOns-places in the boards of regis
try and elections the power to disfranchse any
Il cannot believe that the intelligence and charac-
ter OF the Maryland electorate such to
the machine of either party which might be in
power. Its immediate effect no doubt would be to
continue in power the present Democratic machine.
with all that that means and has in the
history of Maryland politics.
This machine in the support of this amendment
is only doing what it has been dorg in politics
is to keep in power after forfeiting confidence by
its misdeedS not by reforming itself and thus
limiting the exercise of the electoral franchise
to eliminate from it such elements of opposition
as may threaten its continuance in power"
RBTROGREssION OF 25 YEARS.
A. S J. Owens, States Attorney of Baltimore
has kicked completely over the Democratic or