The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-01-19
FOR THE CONSTITU-
TIONAL AMENDMENT.
Active Campaign For Disfranchise-
ment Has Been Planned.
OEMOCRATSTO PLAYSTRONG GAME
Precinct Clubs Will Be Organized
Throughout State II Court OF APP
peals Says Act is Valid.

peals Says Act is Valid.
A grim, determined fight to pass
the proposed DISTINGUISHING amend
ment is promised by the Democratic
managers, and all idea of an extra
session of the Legislature to pass a
compromise measure seems to have
been abandoned. This plan is, of
course, based on the assumption by
the organization leaders that the
amendment was legally passed, and
that the Governors withheld sigma
ture was not requisite to its validity.
Although the open campaign will
not be begun until the decision of the
court of last resort is handed down.
preliminary steps for complete or
ganization of the State have already
been made, and it is asserted that no
effort will be made or spared to push
the fight every minute until the votes
are counted at the next November
election. y so-called campaign of edu-
cation will be carried on, and the pro-
visions and claimed effect of the Poe
amendment will be explained by
speeches, documents and articles pub-
lished in the newspapers. Already
prominent speakers from the South
ern States haye been secured to tell
how the negroes were DISTINGUISHED
there, and how disfranchisement has
worked in practice. Precinct cam
paign clubs and committees will be
established throughout the State, and
in short, every known device approy-
ed by politicians will be brought into
play to induce voters to mark their
ballots For the amendment"
Senator German, it is said, has de-
termined upon this policy, and all his
loyal followers are expected to fall into
line. State Chairman Vandiver, who
is ardentlv devoted to Mr.. German
and who, it is said, only remains at
the head of the committee to uphold
the Senator's hands, has missed but
few DAYS from the Eutaw House
headquarters since the election, and
recently he has been assisted a good
deal by Mr.. Albert J. Almonev, who
usually helps only during the active
part of a campaign. Mr.. AlmOney
keeps in touch with the county COM
mittees, and has superintendent of
the rural registration work.
Mr.. Lloyd Wilkinson, secretary of
the State Central Committee. who
was recently succeeded as Insurance
Commissioner by Mr.. Frank l. Dun
can, is also usually but little in evil
dence around headquarters, except
for couple of months or so just pre-
ceding an election, but since he trans
ferred his Office to Mr.. Duncan last
Monday he has spent a large part of
each day at the Eutaw House, and it
is understood that he intends to de-
vote the major part of his time this
year to work for the amendment.
) While Governor Warfield never
committed himself one way or the
other on the proposit ion for an extra
session of the Legislature, it was no.
ticeable that many of those who sid
ed with him last winter strongly ad.
vocated such course. The German
people, though, manifested but little
disposition to compromise and, as it
would have been folly for the Gov
ernor to call an extra session if the
Poe amendment champions were sim
ply going to ''stand pat" and unless
they would agree in advance to sup
port less Objectionable measure, the
agitation has gradually subsidized.
Should the Court of Appeals decide
against the validity of the amend
ment, the German people say they
will be able to point out that they
did their best to redeem their prom
ices for negro isfranchisemtnt, but
failed through no fault of theirs.
They claim that to drop it now
would be worse for them than to car
nv the fight to the bitter end even, as
they admit, at the iminent risk of de-
feat Should the amendment go on
the ballot, Maryland will this year
experience the most exciting political
campaign for many years-certainly
since 1895.
Attorney General w. S. bryan, Jr.,
today received printed copies of the
record in the mandamus case of Mr..
Murray VandiYer against Governor
Wartield to compel the placing of the
Poe constitutional amendment on the
official ballot next fall. This case
was on December 90 decided by the
Circuit COURT for Anne Arundel coun-
tY in Mr.. Vandiver's favor.
The case is No. 81 on the Court OF