The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-04-06

until the people of the whole State is
made fully aware of the iniquity OF
this scheme. After the candidates are
nominated. we shall have speakers on
the stump"
As far as can ascertained, the meth
DDS outline by Mr.. Hanna will be
practically the same as those TO be.
followed bv the Democrats
1t is agreed by all that the cam
paign will be one of intense interest
andDrObably of bitterness. Should the
amendment be adopted the Republic
can party, Mr.. Hanna thinks, will be
hOpelessly in the minority for an in
definite period of years, and should it
be defeated the effect on the Demo-
cratic party in Maryland might be
tremendous. Every Democratic can
didate on the State and local tickets
next fall must necessarily place him
self squarely on record in favor of the
amendment or be repudiated by the
Democratic State Cent Committee,
which would insure his defeat. In
many cases this will be embarrassing,
for il may spell defeat either way. In
some of the counties it will be pOpu-
lar to side with the amendment, but
in Baltimore city and many of the
counties it would seem that if the
temper of the voters remains as at
present no Democratic candidate
could be elected.
1t is believed by many that the
Democratic managers are preparing
to force the amendment through by
wholesale frouds in the counties. 1t
has been pointed out that there is no
appeal to the courts from the returns
given bv the Supervisors of Elections
i'll the vote on an amendment, and
thus there can be no review. If the
Supervisors, for instance, in a num-
Der of precincts where the vote was
largely against the amendment
should simply omit the figures in
making up their returns, it Is said
there could be no legal remedy.
1t is impossible to estimate at pres
ent how many voters would be dis
franchised by the proposed amend
ment, because of the Yerv fact the ex-
tent of the acknowledgements would
depend entirely upon the within of the
registration officials. There are 81, 1877
colored voters, names on the books
now, and it is safe to say that not a
corporals guard of these would be
left. The last census places the num-
Der of white illiterate voters in this
State at 1S,307, but, of course, some
of the these would be protected by
the grandfather clause"
County Democratic leaders who
were seen today were not as uniform
ly enthusiastic as to the passage of
the amendment as chairman Nandi-
yer claims to be, and many of them
spoke very gloomily of the outlook
on this line.
a special dispatch to The News this
afternoon from Annapolis says:
"Democratic politicians here We're
not surprised by the decision of the
Court of Appeals on the disfranchis-
ing amendment, the result having
been discounted apparently several
days ago. The decision itself did not
cause any excitement or much talk.
Very little comment is heard upon the
decision or the effect of the disfran-
chising act
VERY little has been heard about
the amendment here recently said
DR.. George Wells, Clerk of the Cir
cult Court, and | doubt if much will
be heard about it for some time to
come. L don't think the amendment
is generally popular, and don't think
the Democrats as whole are very en-
tEusiastic about it or the chances of
carrying it. There has been good deal
of opposition TO it in the county, and
while some of this has died out. a con-
siderable amount still remains. The
fact that it is ii party measure, how
ever, will have much weight with the
regular Democrats.
Mr. Charles Morris Howard, secre-
tary of the Reform League, enters
pronounced objection to the first
clause, although he finds the others
are also perniciOus. The idea that
ward executives shall interpret the
Constitution when eminent iurists
dissent, he regards as opening a way
for gross frauds to be perpetrated
The decision of the Court of Ap-
peals," he said, that the franchise
amendment to the Constitution shall
be voted on by the people simply deter
mines a legal question of a prelimina-
ry character. The merits of the
amendment remain to be discussed,
and doubtless there will be vigorous
campaign waged for and against it.
Il am decidedly of the opinion that
the amendment is pernicious, and |
think il WOuld he pNtrpmelv unfortu