New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-19
4 SENSATION IN LAKELAND.

| The promoters of the Poe-Gorman disfranch1se-
ment scheme in Maryland suffered an agonlZlng
| jolt yesterday when IsadOr Rayner, Mr.. Germans
Democratic colleague in the United States Sen
ate publicly denounced the Poe amendment as
an outra geOus and offensive assault on popular
| rights-"a wretched piece Of jugglery conceived
! ''in fraud and intended to be executed in in
EQUITY The Democratic State Convention a
| few weeks ago declared that opposition to tho
amendment was due TO corrupt combination
| "of disaffected Democrats and reformers, allied
with the Republicans and the negroes" Inc
| German campaign managers have since then
| been engaged in smoking OUT opponents or
the amendment within the party. This process
was not without it's dangers, for a strong minor
ity Of Democrats, headed by Governor War
field has never concealed its belief that the at
tempted segregation Of the voters into TWO
classes-those with and those without "ances-
tors"-was a blunder both In political theory
and in partisan tactics. The machine hoped to
intimidate and silence this element. It did not
reckon, apparently, on the possibility Of driving
any leader Of the anti-amendment forces into
open revolt.
In Senator Rayner, however. Democratic pro-
testants against the grandfather clause and
the caste system have found a spokesman who
does not fear to defy the machines edicts and
expose its true aims and purposes. Mr.. Rayner
honest government. He has never identified
himself with the German machine and he won
his election to the Senate over Mr.. Germans
opposition. He cannot be silenced now; and IN
open letter to the party, published IN The
Baltimore Sum-" he subjects the Poe amend
ment to a scathing and passionate arraignment.
No declaration made by any Republican critic
of the Poe scheme is more sweeping than Mr..
Rayner's opening statement:
am utterly opposed to this amendment, with
the strongest convictions of my life against the
principles that it embodes and believe that its
adoption would bind the chains OF political slav-
cry around this state. would sound the death
k.eIl of political hopes and aspirations In
Maryland and would be great calamity as
could possibly be inflicted upon our people
Mr.. Rayner gives some cogent reasons for OPP
posing the Poe plan. 1t will disfranchise. he
says, in Baltimore alone, more than 10000
white voters who by their thrift, industry and
enterprise have contributed to make 1t the
metropolis it is to-day" It purposes to insd-
tute an election system under which registers
'of voters, Overwhelmingly uhterate as a rule,
who have never read a line of the Constitu-
''tiOn and could not comprehend 1t If they did,
have the right to take away the SURFACES OF
citizens because they cannot answer questions
which the registers themselves can neither I'M
"derstand nor answer" Its sole purpose is ito
''perpetuate the waning fortunes of q political
dynasty tine German dynaStyI that proposes
ito make thraIls and serfs of the sons Of Mary
land" 1t is q blow struck at the Independent
Democrats and the foes of corruption in party
management and government 1t imposes no
genuine educational test; it is undemocratic in
principle and despotic in practice. Finally, it
creates a new political crime-'the crime Of not
''being born American soiI-and with a spirit
''Of tnsatiate revenge it visits the sins of the
"forefathers upon their future generations to
1.-The remotest degree"
So intense and vehement Is the junior Demo
cratic Senator in his hostility to the amend
ment that he says in closing:
I would rather never have held an honor at
the hands of the people, and at this moment
would surrender any ambition that 1 may cher
ish for the present or the future in the public
service Of my country, and would rather that
my name should be forever buried In oblivion
than either by active participation or silent
acquiesoence assist in inflicting this outrage
upon the people Of my state.
Mr. Rayner's sensational letter opens new
phase IN the Maryland campaign. 1t should
settle beyond question the fate Of the Poe-Gor-
man scheme to "ancestorize' that states cleo
torate