The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-08-18
A CLEVER SCHEME IN SOUTH
ERN MARYLAND.

ends they will go 10 carry out their
schemes cannot be stated with any
degree Of certainty, but from what we
know of them and their dolngs, moth
| ing seems beyond their possibilities.
In recent years their energies have
been sorely taxed in meeting the issues
that the Democratic party have thrust
upon them. But with each question
they have always put up rebutting
| plan that brought some returns upon
\ the investment The amendment is
the issue upon which they are now
uniting their mental capacities and the
results 80 far, are certainly amusing,
/ if not decidedly unique To go back
/ for a moment, in the campaigns dating
from the passage of the law abolishing
/ party emblems on the official ballot by
the Democrats, they We're confronted
with the serious problem of how best
to hold in their hands the advantage
( Of the negro vote. 1t was the purpose
| of the Democrats To make the new sys-
/ TEN of voting so confusing to the illit-
crate colored man, that he would not
be able TO read his ballot, and thus be
unable To vote. OF cou' 81 something
schools, was thought of, and in every
district and county in the ; ate negro
school houses and churches were
brought into requisition and nightly
the negro was taught how to read or
| distinguish by some mark or letter the
names opposite which To make his
mark This worked very we'll indeed,
aud it is said that m IRE whites spoiled
Their ballots than the negroes. Besides
this the Republicans worked upon the
pride IF many Dem Gratis, telling them
that The Democrats had DISTINGUISHED
purposely their fathers, or brothers, or
husbands, or sons, who might not have
been able to read or write, keeping
we'll hid the true reasons and falling
to truthtully LAY that the grea test good
to the greatest number necessitated
some haId>hips, even among those
who wee numbered with the stalwart
rank aud file.
This oue-sided argument had much
effect and many cases were heard of
where entire families remained away
from the polls or voted the Republican
ticket In fact the election was won
by the Democrats flor the Republi-
cans. This was the case in Frederick
and other counties in Northern and
Westean Maryland 1t also worked
well in Baltimore City, but that bull
wsrk of democracy had repented of
its erring ways 10 1895 and 1897 and so
the effect there was only relative.
Each campaign since 1901 has
brought out some particular form of
campaign device on the other side
which has occupied by virtue of the
policy of the democracy, the defensive.
This year the issues are more distinct
and definite than ever, and what the
Republicans will do can only be sur.
mi-ed. \ little episode in one of the
lower counties few days ago gives
slight clue to their plans. and shows
that they have been somewhat chang
ed Io.n. earlier in the summer 1t was
in Wlcom co county, where the ne
gro in convention assembled, sol
EMMY drew up, (or more accurately
speaking, had drawn up for them,
set f resolutions telling of their claims
to citizenship and the right of suffrage
under the Fourteenth and Fifteenth
Amendments to the Constitution of
tn" Uuited State<, aud what desirable
inhabitants of the State they had
been. Then they resolved that no one
OF their race should be- nominated
for Office IN Maryland until such times
as conditions warranted it.
The Baltimore NetOS had an anus
lug cartoon Wednesday even
las, picturng the incident. A pom
pous Republican politician is shown
with his arms full of commissions of
offices for lis frieuds An old negro
stands besides hlm and is quoted as
saying n answer 10 his surprised query
of doubt: ut amt very hard to give
up something that you never had"
That is exactly il. The negro has
not had any remuneration, except
financial o.e, for tie service he has
ben to the Republican party in this
State. He Las for many years teen
voting them INFO county offices and
only, here aud there has janitprship
been grudgingly thrown at him. Of
urse conditions do not permit gen
orally such rewards to come his way,
hut we wonder at his long continued
service in cause which has such little
compensation He is used as a tool
and is too blind To see that he Is not
getting proportionate share OF the
spells. To show how the negro is used
and +" hat regard the Republicans have
for his pride and intelligence, it was
proposed early in the year to do away
with Republican nominations in GER
tain southern Maryland COUNTIES so
that the negro could give his whole
attention to figuring ont where to
make his mark against the amend