The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-07-01
Trying to Deceive Voters to Further
Personal Ends.

ever they choose to term it, circulated IN Bal
timore for signatures, Alfred S. Niles, Archi-
bald H. Taylor, J. Southgate Lennon,
Eugene O'Dunue and Leigh Bonsal say:
''We have no opposition to an amendment
in line cith the Democratic platform o. 1908,
which would restrict the suffrage to intelligent
and patriotic citizens.
Such restriction would bar every member
of the committee from voting, for they have
exhibited no intelligence in understanding the
platform of 1908 nor in the proposed amend
ment to the Constitution.
The platform of 1908 declared
"We believe that the political destinies of
MARYLAND should be shaped aud controlled by
the white people of the State, and while we
discaim any purpose to do any injustice what
ever to our colored population we declare
without reserve our resolute purpose to pre-
serve in every conservative and constitutional
way the political ascendaney of our race.
That plank is not ambiguous. 1t is not
open TO miseonstruction by intelligent men.
II was not even misunderstood by the ignorant
negroes, every one of whom knew that the
purpose of the Democratic party was to elm
mate the ignorant and vicious negro from
the electorate, and every negro voted against
the Democratic State and Legislative tickets.
In his speech accepting the Democratic
nomination for Governor, at Mt. Airy, Hon
Edwin Wartield emphasized that plank OF the
platform in the following language
The question as presented, aud which the
voter must decide at this election, rs PLAIN,
practical business one, and goes home to
every trhife householder and taxpayer IA
Maryland 1t is whether the government OF
this great Commonwealth shall be Entrusted
to a party more than one half of whose voters
is composed of this ignorant race, or to the
party comprising in It's ranks vast majority
Of our white people. LCheers.
1--WE have experienced in this State IN re-
cent wears the effects of Republican suprema
cy on the emotional and exeitabe negro mind.
1t brought increase of lawlessness among the
colored population of our chief city and mutt,
piled crime throughout the State. The fatal
effects of negro domination on property inter
ests and all forms of industrial development
are illustrated ia those counties IN Maryland
which are dominated by the negro vote. where
it has throttled progress aud bhghted pros
perity. The conditions that prevail ia mat
section will ultimately spread to other por-
tQuS oil the STATE II tue EheFh1ltNaH F@AtI -
again installed in power.
Upon that platform and his speech Of &C
ceptance Gov Warfeld was elected by more
than y, 600 majority and Legislature chosen
three fifths Democratic in both houses
Gov Warfeld was opposed to the proposed
amendment as passed. He favored the Worth
ingion amendment, which added a property
qualification, believing such requirement
would stimulate habits of thrift and economy.
He also believed the bin proposing the amend
meut should have been submitted to him for
his consideration. The Court Of Appeals de-
cided that il was not necessary 70 present the
bill TO the Governor, and Governor Warheld
viii no doubt stand by the amendment as
proposed by three ffths vote of the members
of the Senate and House. The Governor Is a
party man aud believes in psfty organization
and when the State Convention speaks, en-
dorsing the amendment. be viii stand by the
will Of the majority. As Democrat, beiiev-
ing in majority rule, there is no other course
to pursue.
The Constitution provides that citizens to
be entitled to vote must be Of the age Of
twenty-one years OF upwards, aud resided one
year in the State and six months in the county
or legislative district Of Baltimore City, where
he may offer to register. To these qual6ca-
tons the proposed amendment adds the fol
lowing provisions
Every such male citizen OF the United
States having the above prescribed quallfca
tons of age aud residence shall be entitled to
be registered so as to become aqualifed voter
if be be-
First. A person able to read any Section
Of the Constitution Of this State submitted 10
him by the Officers Of Registration aud To give
a reasonable explanation Of the same; or It
unable TO read such section able to understand
and give explanation thereof when read TO
him by the registration officers.
Second. A person who, on the first day
Of January, 1869, or prior thereto, was entitled
to vote under the laws of this State or of any
other State of the United States wherein he
then resided.
Third Any male lineal descendant of
such last mentioned person who may be tween
ty-one 81 years Of age or over IN the year
1906.
Any person who was a voter in 1869, or
prior thereto, in this or any other State, may
register next year without further question.
Any lneal descendant Of such voier-son or
grandson-who will be twenty-one years of
age in 1906, can register without futher ques-
ton. As the negroes were not given the
privilege 10 vote until 1870, every one of
them. who possesses the required age aud res
idence, will have to pass the educational test
OF being able to read and give a reasonable
explanation Of some section of the Coustitn-
ton, or if unable TO read, TO give reasonable
explanation Of it when read to him.
This educational test is the one framed ''to
preserve in every conservative and Constitu-
tional way the political aSeendancy of our
race as the language of the Democratic
platform of 1908 reads. The immigration of
Virginia and Carolina negroes make such an
educational qualification necessary. The re.
mova of party emblems from the ballot and
the arrangement of the names of nominees in
alphabetical order on the ballot, thereby
making it difficult for the ignorant voter 10
mark his ballot, has checked to some degree
the immigration of ignorant negroes. Should
the amendment DC ueIeattu tnc ueical VIII NC
an invitation to that class of negroes to come
TO MARYLAND. And should the Republicans
win in this State, back will go the party en-
bIems on the ballot and every negro, no mat
ter how ignorant. will be able to find Lincoln s
head and vote a straight Republican ticket.
The negroes in the Republican party now out
number the whites in that organization. With
the increase of the negroes they will soon
completely dominate the party and control lis
nominees and policy.
The contest this year is for white supreme
CIV. Every white man should stand by his
race and for government by the white intelli-
gent citizens. This may be your the oppor
tunity to maintain white supremacy. It's not
likely that the Democrats will soon be able to
elect three. ffths Of the members of each house
of the General Assembly, so as to submit
another amendment limiting the franchise,
should the present proposed one be defeated.
White men should not be misead by the
Niles. TAYLOR Lennon O Dunn Bonsal com
mittee. They have no correct conception Of
the Democratic platform of 1908 nor under.
standing of the proposed amendment. They