Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1905-04-07

The educated negro who wishes to aid II
the elevation Of his race should hail with sat
isfaction the effort which this amendment viii
require from the uneducated negro TO learn
to read 10 order to qualify himself a. . voter,
and the adoption Of the amendment will put
into the hands of the better class Of our color
| ed population power and influence for good
with the illiterate Of their race which they
have never thus far possessed.
The most generous offers Of the opp0rtuni-
ties Of education furnished by our public
schools for more than 30 years have not borne
the rich fruit which was oped for, but when
our colored people realize that II they cannot
read they shall not vote 1t will not be long
before the evils under which our elective
franchise suffers unto degradation will be
greatly lessened.
Indeed, one of the strongest arguments In
favor of the amendment is that 90 far from
being injurious or unjust to our negro popu-
lation, it will, on the contrary, II adopted,
be promotive Of their best interests.
While protecting our white electorate from
the contamination of debased and ignorant
negro suffrage, it will necessarily stimulate
the uneducated negro to learn to read and
thereby to earn the right TO vote.
And If he prove either unwilling or unable
to come up to The easy educational test pre-
scribed by the amendment he ought not to
be permitted to vote, and there is no hard.
ship in excluding HIM.
CONSTITUTION OF 1854.
Our Constitution Of 1854, upon grounds of
public policy then deemed TO be sufficient, and
held by our Court Of Appeals in Anderson
Vs. Baker, % Md 53l, to be valid and con.
stitutional, disfranchised by the most striu-
gent retrOdctiOe provisions all who sympa-
:hized with the Southern Oontederacy or had
ever given any aid or comfort to :he cause
Of secession.
This destruction of the pre-existing right
to vote under the Constitution OF 1851 was
accomplished by q partisan Board of Regis
sration Officers, whose decision was declared
to be absolutely final and conclusive without
appeal.
Surely, IL the disfran chisement of two
thirds OF the cultured and influential white
voters Of the State was then adjudged 10 be
wise and expedient In order to save the gov
eminent Of the State from the possibility Of
falling into the hands Of the Southern sym
pathiEers Of that day, the present effort to
save our elective franchise from the deplora-
BILE evils Of the Lowest grade Of ignorant negro
suffrage ought not to be denounced as per-
nicious. or resisted as unjust or injurious.
On the contrary, it ought to appeal with
persuasive and controlling force 70 ell Of our
people who, without distinction Of party, be-
lieve in the supremacy Of the white race, and
feel that some degree Of intelligence should
be exacted as the test of the right to vote.
OBJECTION TO THE AMENDMENT.
There only remains now for consideration
the objection which has been urged to the
amendment, viz, that 1t gives too much power
TO our Repatriation Officers.
But this 10 an entire mistake, as an exam
ination Of our Election law will plainly show.
We find in every registration precinct BIZ
partisan board OF registration officers, COM
posed equally of Democrats and Republicans,
carefully selected by the Supervisors OF Elec-
tons, sworn to do their duty fairly and i'm
partially, and subject 10 heavy penalties for
Its violation, with . right Of appeal from
their decision in every case TO the Circuit
Court for their respective counties, or TO some
Judge Of the Supreme Bench Of Baltimore city,
with further right OF appeal In every case
to the Court Of Appeals.
In full view OF these most abundant safe
guards against error, injustice and injury,
we are called on to meet an argument that
these registration officers will wickedly, cor
ruptly or ignorantly register illiterate for
eigners or negroes who ought not to be regis
tered, or refuse to register literate foreigner
or negroes who ought TO be duly registered,
and because Of the possibility Of such mis-
conduct we must continue TO bear political
evils which an overw helming majority Of our
people have declared to be intolerable
There would not be any force In the argu-
ment now being considered, even II there
were no right Of appeal from the registration
officers, for the obvious reason that the equal
political division Of the. registration officers
10 the amplest protection against error and
injustice, and that consequently partisan in
Justice 10 practically next to impossible.
But when we bear in mind that there Is the
fullest, speediest right Of appeal, even TO our
highest Court, the argument needs only to be
stated TO be rejected.
In truth, when analyses II means that oul
election officials cAnROt be trusted with du'
ties, powers an d responsibilities, even when
theI act subject to the absolute supervision
and control OF our Court OF Appeals, and ap.
plies with equal force to the performance b.
the registration officers Of their other func
tons In the work of registration.
When, therefore, we realize that this 10 the
only objection that Is seriously urged TO In
fiuence the views and votes Of our PEG pie
who wish preservation and protection against
the evils OF debRsed and ignorant negro suf-
frage, is it too much to hope and believe that
the Amendment presented 10 them for the
purpose OF securing TO them this preservation
and protection will grow In favor the more
carefully 1t is considered, and In November
next will be made vital force in the Con-
stitution Of Maryland by decisive popular
ratification
MURRAY VANDIvER,
Chairman of Democratic State Central Com
mlttee.