Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-02
A W|ll-O- O-1HE-W|SP
Poe Amendment on the East
ern Shore.
LITTLE TERROR SHOWN
VIEWS GIVEN TO STAFF CoRRE-
sPoNDENT OF STAR.
Politicians Around Salisbury, Nd.
Have No Negro Domination
Fears.
Special From a STAFF Correspondent.


on the eastern shore who are in terror over
the danger of negro domination you will
have to go on TO the next county. When
you reach the next county you will be told
that you will find IT in the next county. and
SO on without end. You will never reach It.
1t Is will-o'-the-wisp, and IL you chase It
to the east you will be met by the breakers
OF the Atlantic ocean. II You follow, Il to
the west you will find yourself wading into
the Chesapeake bay. 1t is always over
yonder.'"
Thus spoke a man whose entire life has
been spent in the activities of this county
of Wicomico. which. although not one OF
the counties that have a majority of coll
ored people, is in the southern portion of
the peninsula that forms the eastern shore
of Maryland and is closely in touch with
the section of the state which Is supposed
to be terroriZed today because of an over
hanging dread of negro dominatio There
have been registered in this county for the
coming election 1876 colored voters the
white voting population being about 1924
The registration of colored voters exceeds
| by about forty the number registered in
1vo3 and by fifty those registered last year.
This increase is said to indicate the interest
| taken by them in the election upon which
| their right to vote in the future depends
In this quiet village of 6009 people Il has
been Impossible to find the first man whose
| least indication that he regards the uues-
| ton of negro domination as one that figures
| In the contest. Democrats have candidly
declared that there are many white men
who fear that they may be disfranc hised by
the Poe amendment If ratified, because they
have seen In past elections that the Hitter
| ate colored voters have managed to learn
| to vote any ticket that they have been able
to successfully mark. They, in many in
stances. have indicated their intention to
vote against the amendment on the ground
| that while the democratic managers have
said they do not intend to disfranchise
white voters. they are not willing to lend
their support to law that would permit
their disfranchisement IL the judges of elee-
tions are inclined to do SO.
White Men Limited.
These white men who cannot read or
/ whose ability to read is very limited, are
farmers who work about the mills here.
and they are in many instances men or
property and of the best standing in their
communities. The fact is the cry of negro
domination comes to this county from the
outside and does not originate in It. TO-
ltica1 meetings are scheduled for almost
every night and many afternoons durtig
the present week. Men go to these mee-
ings and hear orators from outside the
county, not of the eastern shore and IN
some cases from without the state,
and they learn from them for the nrsr
time the danger of negro domination that
is lowering over them. AT some of these
meetings they are told that the republican
party favors the intermarriage of the races
and the election Of negroes to offices in the
county and in the state. They are aston
shed to hear these statements, because
the conditions that surround them do not
verify them. When the last republican
convention was held In this county there
was not a single colored man In the con-
vention. Colored men have not for years
been put on any county or state ticket.
ana they neither ask nor expect such rec
fin,, .r,d fit.Nav
the republicans does not, would not, per-
nit consideration being given to any sucn
ambition of a colored man for office.
/ In this county and throughout The
eastern shore the only sentiment that Is
manifested favors separation of the races
but a large number of the white popuIA-
ton do not believe that it is either ex-
pedient or wise to curtail the suffrage or
the people, either white or colored. me
Poe amendment in this county is not re-
Sarded as anything more than a party
measure and very generally II is being ap-
proved by the democrats as such. ana
opposed by the republicans. The manner
in which this distinction is drawn is IL
lustrated in the case OF the jackson fam
lily, which has given the state democratic
governor and a republican representative
in Congress. both having their homes here.
Former Governors Views.
Former Governor Jackson In speaking
of this amendment TO your correspondent
in his office in Baltimore a few days ago,
said with much earnestness:
"There may be no fear of negro domina-
ton in the northern counties and In Balti-
more, but the white people of the lower
counties are calling TO us for help, and
believe 1t is the duty OF every white man 10
extend that help
Gov Jackson and his family reside here
during the summer months. He is good
democrat and he fears negro domination.
but short way from his beautiful home
10 fba home
brother, Representative Jackson, who was
sent to Congress by the republicans OF the
Eastern Shore, and Mr.. Jackson laughs at
the suggestion of negro domination IN TINS
county or in any part of the peninsular
Maryland.
These brothers have made millions to-
gether here and in business they agree
upon everything. But they see through
differently colored glasses when they look
at the world political Representative jack
son is one of the democrats who dropped
out of the ranks when Mr.. Bryan was NOM
mated in 1886, and since that time he has
been as prominent a republican as his
brother has been democrat. When he
was nominated for Congress the last time
the democrats here nominated his brother
to run against him. but the former gov
ernor didn't propose TO have any such
contest with his brother. and he declined
to accept the nomination.
The different views of these brothers are
typical of the different views that are
taken by democrats and republicans on the
question OF negro dDtllnaliofi- IciioSaatiS
politicians see 1t, and republicans cannot
detect any evidence of ii.
In Baltimore one hears stories about the
manner in which the people in these coun-
ties are reaching out for help against the
danger of negro domination and how they
are worked into a state almost bordering
upon frenzy the situation that con-
fronts them. In this quiet town there is
less talk about matters political just now
than there has been for many years prior
to n campaign. Democrats and republicans
alike have told me that they did not re-
member when there had been so little said
on the subject of the election. The political
mana gers are active and arrange meetings
which are well advertised but they have
not given The campaign sufficient impetus
to start the orators about the hotel lobbies
to talking, and. the county being dry,
there are no saloons for the discussion or
weighty matters of state. Even the bar
hers fail to mention noliiics or to ofIer aux