The Washington times., 1905-10-08

All the elegance OF diction for which
the rings orators and writer's have
been so long and so justly noted; but
what did Mr.. Furst mean? OF course,
the hide" was the amendment, and
the hair" the Democratic candidate.
but why had one to- "go" with the
other? In other words, why does the
ring not care. or not care enough to
help them, to have Democrats elected
60 the Legislature. unless il wins on
the amendment, and unless they are
men 1t can trust to do what Ii would
have them do after winning? 1 think
/ can make this plain to you.
Will Dominate Window.
Among the many f1bs of the Demo-
cratic platform, there was one which
merits special mention, at least for
size This was the assertion. or
rather intimation, that, if the amend
ment were carried, the two parties
would continue equally represented, as
they are now on the boards of registra-
tion.
Those vino prepared the platform
knew perfectly well, TO one else could
possibly know so well. that the adoption
OF the Poe amendment would have been
assured by the passage of bill abolish
Ing this equal representation and substi-
tuting the old two-to-one boards had
they not despaired Of passing this bill
over Governor warfields veto, Just as
they despaired of obtaining a second
time the necessary three-fifths vote for
the constitutional amendment itself, and
therefore wouldn't tender 1t to him for
signature. and took their chances with
the court OF appeals The bill was not
10 ~. g.. &l..o
special session. and in 1902. but this time
actually introduced: and only the COVER
nors attitude and the "wobbling" of
their own majority. under universal
public criticism. led them to reluctantly
abandon 1t. For their purposes the adop-
ton of the amendment itself will be only
nalf victory. but a scant return for
ali the time and money 1t will cost,
II they haven't a sufficient majority in
each house to pass. and pass over the
governors Veto the same measure
which only the fear of that veto and the
certainty that 1t would prove fatal pre-
vented their putting through" at the
last session. When, therefore Mr.. Furst
tells us that '.the hair will go with the
hide" IL they can't get the amendment,
nc means that the ring has not help to
give. and no money to waste on any
candidate or any party officer who may
retain sufficient respect either for him
self or for public opinion to let con-
sistency or decency or anything else
outweigh. even for a moment. the orders
Of the ring.
Lack of Interest Fatal.
Some time since / was shown by one Of
the Democrats in Baltimore city who
are working with all their strength to
defeat the amendment a letter from a
respectable Democratic lawyer OF a
county adjoining this. IN which the
writer said he and his neighbors were
but little interested in the amendment
because in this part of the State there
were but very few colored voters. 1t
is on such n careless or stupid misun-
derstandins of the vital facts of the SIT
uation as this letter discloses on the
part of mon as respectable as its writer
that the ring relies to make the amend
rrent law. Had he read IL with any
care, he must have seen that the right
20 vote of every white man in the State
fs made TO depend on his establishing,
to the satisfaction of partisan and uri-
scrupulous officers of registration one or
the other OF two things, namely. either
that he understands or misunderstands
section of our constitution as two out
of three of these men (who will be. ac-
cording to all our past experience. abut
as well versed in constitutional law as
is Chinese metaphysical themselves un-
dsrstand or misunderstood the same Sec
ton. or else that his ancestor or HIM
self was legal voter Of some State in
the Union on January /. 1859.
Anyone can understand. and all do
what this kind OF civil service exami-
nation on the Constitution Will mean,
but Il Is not as fully and generally un-
derstood that every young man who
comes of age after the first day or next
January. every such man. white or
black. native born or foreign born,
must submit to II: still less is il eener-
ally recognized tha; the rights of those
with American grandfathers are almost
as wholly at the discretion of the off,
GERS OF registration II the applicant
for registration be politically orthodox,
that is 10 say, II he be as subservient
TO the ring and as docile as the kind Of
candidate or ward executive 1t wants In
the city. no doubt any sort of proof.
or TO proof at all. will satisfy them OF
his grancfathers qualifications, but If
he be in any wise tainted with or sus-
pected OF Republicanism. or inde-
pepdence, or a mutinous spirit, they Will
become hypercritical and hard to please
ss to the old gentleman's status. to a
degree which would put to shame the
Colonial Danes and leave the Sons of
the Revolution nowhere.
Let each one OF you now think how
he could clearly prove. by evidence
which Is not hearsay or in anywise i'm
perfect. this his grandfather was q
legal voter of some American State.
and he will understand how completely
the rights OF those even more favored
By the terms of the amendment win
he at the rings mercy, il it be adopt
cd; how thoroughly, even for them.
SIC pretended safeguards against the
disfranchiseEent OF white men are "a
mockery. a deiusion. and a snare
FelIow-citizens. only one class Of
people WIFI be assured OF their votes
II this amendment becomes law; those
men, black as well as white. who are
owned body and soul Qf they still
have souls) by the ring; in other words,