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

Whlcn tnelr ingenuity can suggest TO poison
the minds OF the voters of the State against
the amendment. They started out BY say.
ing that the amendment gave too much
power To the registrars Of voters from whose
decision they declared there was no appeal.
They were soon driven from this position
when 1t was shown that there is ample pro.
vision for appeal in the registration law and =,
finding this contention wholly untenable,
they quickly abandoned II. Now they are
endeaVoring to fool the people into believing
thatthe amendment is scheme to perpetuate
the power Of the corrupt Democratic ring. az
they designate the Democratic leaders. This
contention is even more untenable than the
first. Bosses, rings and corrupt politicians
exist and thrive best when there is large
ignorant and corrupt vote upon which they
can trade. II Is generally conceded that
the ignorant and corrupt negro vote In
Maryland Is the cause Of most of the cor
ruption in our politics Democrats have
put up with many abuses in their party
management because of this negro vote,
abuses which would not have been attempt.
ed except that those who perpetrated them
knew that the abuses would be excused, be.
cause Of this very negro vote. The pro.
posed amendment Is designed and intend.
ed 10 eliminate the ignorant negro as voter
lfadopted, II will also eliminate many abuses
In our politics; for II will remove the causes
and the excuses for them. Let US see what
the proposed amendment really Is.
The present article of the Constitution on
the elective franchise says:
Every male citizen OF the United States,
Of the age Of twenty-one years or upward
who has been resident of the State for one
year, and OF the Legislative District OF Bal
timore city, or OF the county, In which he
may offer TO vote, for six months next preced
ing the election, shall be entitled to VOTE"
The proposed amendment adds the follow.
ing To the above:
Every such male citizen of the United
States having the above prescribed qualif.
cations Of age and residence shall be emit.
tied 10 be registered so as 10 become quail
fed voter If he be-
First A person able 10 read any section
OF the Constitution Of this State submitted
10 him by the Officers Of Registration and
TO give q reasonable explanation OF the same ;
or II unable to read such section able to un.
derstand and give explanation thereof when
read to him by the Registration Officers.
Second. A person who on the first day
iof January, 1869, or prior thereto, was emit
tied TO vote under the laws of this State or Of
any other State Of the United States whore.
In he resided.
Third. Any male lineal descendant of
such last mentioned person who may be
twenty. one years Of age or over In the year
1905.
No person not thus qualified by coming
under some one of the above descriptions
shall be entitled to be registered as quail
fed voter, nor be entitled to vote.
These provisions are perfectly plain. They
declare that every adult male citizen Of the
United States who has resided one year In
Maryland shall be entitled to registration II
he comes under any one of the three above
mentioned descriptions of persons. Such
adult male citizen may therefore claim reg.
islration.
First. Because qualified under the edu.
cational test clause.
Second. Because qualified by reason oil
the fact that he was entitled to vote on the
first day Of January, 1859, or prior thereto
by the laws of this State or Of the State
wherein he then resided.
Third, Because qualified by reason Of
the fact that be Is a lineal descendant Of the
person who was thus entitled TO vote on the
first day Of January, 1869, and twenty-one
years Of age or over in the year 1906; that
is 70 say, that he was born not later than
the year Of 1886.
These three descriptions of persons are 10
alternative.
The applicant for registration Is required
to bring himself under one only of them
and any one Of them is sufficient
He may become registered voter because
be was entitled TO vote 80 lar back as Janu'
airy i leoS' OF earlier under the laws Of the
State In which he then resided; or because
having been born not later than 1885, he Il
llneal descendant oil such named person
or because not claiming to belong to either
Of these two classes, he possesses the pre-
scribed educational qualification.
What Is there wrong or monstrous about
the amendmentf IL adopted Il will purge
negroes and insure the control OF the State
W US 'u'e','se"' wn''e so'eis' what whltf