The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-10-13
A Catechism of the Suffrage
Amendment.

q. Who gave the negro tue
right to vote?
A. 1t was given him by the
Fifteenth Amendment to the
Federal Constitution.
@. Was this amendment adopt
ed by the State of Maryland9
A. No. The Maryland Leg IS
lature voted against it nnani'
mously, but two-thisds of the
other States, which had but few
negro voters. forced this amend.
ment upon the Southern States,
and turned loose a horde of ig
iorant negroes to rule over their
or mer masters.
@. Did this result in good or
evils
A. The result of this action
was that in all the Southern
States there was for two years
the worst kind of government.
Carpet baggers with their negro
allies ruled the States and bank
rupted their treasures.
@. What was done to remedy
their conditions?
A. Some States TesOrted to one
expedient, some another. Some
formed secret societies to overawe
the negro and keep him from
the polls. But the only real
relief found was in so amending
their constitutions as to prevent
the negro from registering and
voting.
@. What has been the result in
those States?
A. The State governments are
in the control of majority of
the white people, the negroes are
better citizens and good order
and prosperity take the place of
disorder and crime.
@. Which States have adopted
these amendments?
A. Every Southern State in
which there are any appreciable
number of negroes, except Mary
land.
@. Why should NJ aryla n d
adopt such measure?
A. For the same reason that
urged other Southern States to
secure relief. To make certain
that our State government will
always be in the hands of a ma.
jority of the white people.
@. Why should anyone object
to the rule of majority of the
white electorate?
A. There can be no objection
except from individuals who de-
sire to use the negro vote to ad
vance their own political futures,
aud who know they cannot Sc.
cure a majority of the white
vote.
@. What would be the result
of negro disfranchisement?
A. Any party would be com.
PEELED to secure an Endorsement
of a majority of the white race.
@. Would this result be for
good or evili
A. Every Southern State that
has adopted this policy will un,
questionably say, it results in
good.
@. In the thirty five years the
negro has been allowed to vote
has he given any evidence of his
ability to use the ballot properly?
A. No, he is voting today just
as he did thirty-fve years ago for
Abraham Lincoln's nose and the
Republican party, regardless
alike Of party principles or the
fitness of candidates.
Q. Is there any danger from
the negro vote in Maryland9
A. By combination of fewer
than 10000 white men with the
solid negro vote in seventeen
counties of the State they can
elect a majority of all the men,
bers of our Legislature.
@. Why are we justified in try
ing to eliminate the negro as a
political factor?
A. In violation of every prin.
ciple of home rule, he was forced
upon us as a voter by the Repub-
lican party of other States. At
every election the Democrats are
compelled to place in the ballot
boxes of this State sixty thou.
sand ballots from the hands of
the white men before we can be-
gin to count in our effort to Sc.
cure a majority of the white vote
in this State.
Q. Will the pending amend
ment disfranchise the negros
A. In large measure, yes.
Q. Is any white mans right to
vote involvedg
A. Not at all. The Democratic
party platform is as distinctively
and clearly committed to the reg
istratiOn of every white man, as
1t is against the registration of
the negro.