The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-07-29
The Suffrage Amendment.

jority of our people, conferred the suffrage upon
our adult WHITE males; that the Fourteenth and
Fifteenth Amendments of the Federal Constitution,
forced upon us almost at the mouth of the cannon
and the point of the bayOnet annulled against our
protest this deliberate expression of our sovereign
will that we have submitted for more than 20 years
in perfect loyalty and good faith to the crime
against society and civilization committed by the
Republican party in thus putting the ballot with
ont limitation into the hands of millions of totally
disqualified, ignorant freedmen, just emerged from
slavery, and that during all these long years we
have done our best to meet the terrible exigencies
of this abrupt change in our political situation
Your vote on the amendment should be con-
trolled by the fact that the reckless and wicked
alienation of the Constitution, forciby made and
cruelty extorled by the Republicans for the avowed
purpose of perpeiuating their subjugation of the
lre people of the South by the gift to her ignorant
and debased negro population of the tremendous
power of the ballot, without regard to conse-
quences and as q vindictive and far-reachpg
punishment for secession, is now almost universally
acknowledged to have been frightful bunder, as
well as a hideous crime.
You should rejoice that after years of suffering
and humiliation our white brethren of the several
Southern States unable 10 longer endure the hides
eribabe evils of their political degradation at last
turned desperately to bay and by bold amendments
OF the State constitutions rescued Southern society
and civilization from their deadly peril and success
fully reasserted the rightfuI supremacy of our
race trhOat injury injustice 70 their c01orcd lOpa-
Iatt0R
You should realize that what our brethren Of the
South have accomplished for the political and ma
Ierat redemption of their States from the Potomac
to the Rio Grande our amendment seeks To accom-
yf ID, 1fSh fnr
land irithom daV injury iEastios % our colorCd
population.
Its openly avOwed and boldly proclaimed pur-
pose is to destroy iqR0rdRt negro suffrage and thus
TO circumscribe within the nArrOweSt practicable
limits aud countenct as far as constiIntionAlly
possible the acknowledged evils resulting from that
suffrage which we have borne so long
Nobody denies that ifadopted IL win disfranceise
at least oue-hslf OF the negro vote Of the State
Nobody can dispute that this is most desirable
result, and that il possible it ought 10 be accom-
pliShed,
Nobody can fairly claim that it will operate to
disfrauchise any negro who car read or who with
out being able to read. can give reasonable eX-
PLANTATION o. any section Of the Con,iitution ef the
state
And yet we find opposition 10 this temperate.
conservative. constitutional and effective measure.
Opposition from the ofacaief negro We ought not
to hnd for the plain resSou that the adoption Of
the amendment will necessarily increase his inHn-
ence and power tor good with his rsce-
Opposition from partisan Republicans we look
for.
Opposition from Independents Republicans no
are sufacicnty fair To perceive and eknowleige
the evils aud dangers OF ignorant nsxro suffrage We
know We will not encounter
Opposition f0oss p~m@ran oa.5E ~ ~ ,, sesa-
y>il,si 70 f1cs aad otsTgssss.
II D,asorrslcy n ~ S,afy ssk "a = ahsSstos y
or u,8ai aad as Ac1rs this ytai y iayii
cssrrra cad srir,p1uyrsu.SHt
But yet sad 20 Say. there = uumher q respect
able but misguided and pssudieei gentlemen. = no
occasionally oonaesccnf TO vote the Democratic
ticket and Whose couscisnces for This rnssnu under
severe pressure aRd some sueas!on 81 TIE cheek
permit them 10 claim TO - Democrats who are
ErTayinE themselves against
No;W outstanding their piJifal display Of weak
ness after months energetic cznvNss they t.lk
some bszsffgIy OF their numbers and strength
and ssy all sorts Of uncomplinentaEy things q The
men aud measures Of their party. which they are
now deSertiaE and seeking 70 disrupt and destroy.
They do not ~srm to think o. whAi ihAt party In
The past bal done for thea In uac say Of hono7s
and Distinction OF cNTr fos It's aAie hereafter
It = mstter Of no coaccru 10 thea that thsir
party onoe BEATEN upoa = measure q suurenas in
pogtaHce caanoI easily - ualls,t And ls.i 20 vic
tory: and that Il thelr prsscnt eosahsaMtioa vita
shs partisan Republicans And negroes siAii rsSaii
in thr overthrow OF the parry - Which they -
SYSTEMATICALLY protest they hsioaE us psooi carors
in NAfyiAn the chAmpioa 81 tie sapfvHascy II
her - bite people nay perhaps ooGae IA a laelaa.
cha,y end.
None Of ,he~r things msyrs theta
They COATES aud Elory iu Ihs ixnobls uaogigr 81
their opposition
They proclaim thai rather Ihan loss heir power
a. independent Democratic di.urEAalass. thsT pre
Ter tsAt The ~hoir asNro vote shall - FvtAARsa GA
The registration aass IN order that by Ia assist
amer the political Aserianey Of The pcsaorA cy Ia
thu state large aud 80 The seyerAi counties ulay
Dc epnstAstly iUpesiiei ss-i Il pS-zihe destroyed
They iusisi that they na" retain ssstr esianE
cred h~lAnce % poser at al hNs4ris sa.i a. bat
ever os.l
am sur. srilow Drraos-rats that their appeal 70
yon - foilo~ them in tbef deploFshle combination
wigh the Republicans ~ai sails uPau ie1t cars aud
that yea wili stAnd b. yeuf party alI - orzGaizA
too ia this supreme stTuxEir
THEIR PRETExTs
Ttor EivcA numhos Of excuses ksr .ssir i.sloy-
atty
CONSIDER ssea oss By oar AM observe hav hot
low they all are Firsg. they charge th4t ihs
amendment Is DOT h0acs2. assa bsncs Issy cannot
support a.
MSS frHsd. they .Ay. anil hsaos shey raa.i oi'-
T0~- II
In what this dishonesty and fraud consist they do
aos 'onchS4fe 10 tell
The, cannot deny that the eaapatgu Of isoa wss
fought aud won upon The publicly declared and
panm0Hl issue -, srgrp Esgragg $50 -
-r4,rscsri and that 10 DO this the prEnocrAcy ifH
should obtain the aeciea thrre-anhs vote 30 The
senate and HOUSE % Delegates. plciSri itself 20
PROPOSE efseetive amendment 10 The Constitution
They cannot deny that upon sAs issas The ne~i-
a three. sfIhs vote wAs secured.
They must admit that the proposed amendment
was lawfully passed b. ne vote Of every Denocrsg
IN the senate aud Hoase Of Delegates. and that a.
thus lawfully aud fAiriy p~ssed, Ia Avowet Aud de-
lberAie redemption OF the public pleiEe of The
party il ought nog 10 De opposed By ANY true and
sincere member q the party sscrys far ~ srsrrs
-eaA3a4
when therefore We hHd a number Of protesting
Democrats AntAgouiIing Il aud kiignailEinE Il
fraud have = right 10 call on them Tor distinct
md specific statement OF the fraud Of which they
complain.
Denunciation and abuse viii not do
Give us the particulars Of tho alleged dishonesty
md fraud, OF abandon this p<ry. disiugeunous
md offensive excuse fos yOur desertion OF your
PARTY
Show US wherein it Is thus Objectionable
Point out to single item of deception ia It's
origin. language or object.
To my mind. the whole amsndment--in the pub
iciy proclaimed purpose TO pass IT, IN the full and
Arefi consideration which IL received In It's prep
IratiOR IN the public discussion which preceded its
oASSage. in the openly aTowed object which II was
lassed to accomplish and in the bold and undis-
guised advocacy Of It's meaning and desired effect
$ absolutely free from the charge OF dishonesty,
or insineerity any political measure
n our history.
No! Fellow Democrats, whatever else can De said
II IT, it is beyond controversy, a fair and honest
proposition.
There is nothing vague. hidden or insincere in IT,
There is nothing uncertain or misleading In its
erms scope.
II is fair la its conception. fair and clear in its
4 preston fair In its purpose and fair in its sub
mission. without obstacle Limitation or discrimi-
nation to all the voters OF the state without dis
inctIon of race or color
II says what it means aud IL means what IL says:
md appealing to the intelligent manhood Of the
state to give by its adoption relief from ignorant
legro suffrage and thus secure to US white polti.
al control in Maryland. its friends aud supporters
submit it to the dispassOnate Judgment
Il our people. TocsIS.