Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-08-26
REPUBLICANS DlsFRANcHIsE.

Soup House Charley now Secre
tary Of the Navy. made an address in
Baltimore this week at the meeting of
Republican editors and other active
party workers.
Mr.. Bonaparte is hot on the trail of
the DISTINGUISHING amendment. rs he is
great negro lover: and he is equally
hot after the Democratic party, which
he hates with all the hatred that can be
concentrated in the heart of Black
Republican.
At the banquet TO the editors Mr..
Bonaparte named most of the wrongs
said to have been perpetrated by Demo-
Gratis. but he wisely neglected the sins
of the Republicans. He recited con-
siderable number Of alleged crimes
said to have been committed by Demo
Gratis of Maryland since the civil war,
but he failed to tell about the Republic
can party DISTINGUISHING the best citizens
of the state at the close of the war; and
how that party carried elections at the
point of the bayonet. If Mr. Bonaparte
wishes to indulge in the political history
of Maryland, he surely must not ignore
the pitiable attitude of the men who
possessed the land. the brains and the
best blood of the grand old state. find
ing themselves confronted at the polls
with bayonets in the hands of men in
structed not to allow them to vote for
the candidates of their choice.
1t was for the very purpose of pre-
venting the rule of the white Democracy
of Maryland and other Southern states
that the negro was enfranchised. This
was done against the advice of Abraham
Lincoln, the great emancipation; but the
politicians controlled Congress and the
Fifteenth Amendment was passed giving
the negro right to vote. After 40 years
of freedom he has demonstrated that
he is. as whole. unfit to be clothed
with the right of franchise. having
neither the intelligence to understand
the needs of his country. nor the moral
stamina to support that which is right
and best. He is nothing more than the
tool of designing politicians, who ride
into office on his shoulders.
We recognize the fact that there are
thousands of bright, intelligent, deserving
colored men in Maryland. and number
of these reside in Worcester County.
They are a credit to their race. having
made good use of the years of political
freedom given them. Such men will not
be effected by the passage of the dis
franchising amendment. but there are
hundreds of negroes who are unfit to
cast ballot, and it is the avowed pur
pose of the supporters of the amend
ment to wipe the names of such from
the voting lists of the state.
There is a vast difference between
this amendment and the great wrong
perpetrated in the adoption of the Con-
stitution of 1864. which the Republicans
forced upon the people of Maryland at
the bayonet's point. We propose to
disfranchise the ignorant, worthless
negro. You DISTINGUISHED two thirds of
the most highly respected citizens of
the state because they were white Demo-
Gratis. Such men on the Eastern Shore
as Humphrey Humphreys, Levin T. Fl.
Irving, George S. Payne. William j.
Aydelotte. William j. Pitts, Stephen p
Toadvine. Purnell Toadvine, Thomas II.
Vincent, William j. Scarborough Zadok
Henry, Levin l.. Erickson. and thou
sands of the owners of the land in
which they lived and the men upon
whom the prosperity and enterprise of
the country depended, were denied the
right to vote. This is all we'll known to
the older readers of the MESSENGER,
and those who have come upon the
scene since these stirring times have
been told of the high-handed actions of
the Republican party of Maryland to
gain power in this state.
Let the white men of Maryland stand
together as these men did two years af-
ter the adoption of the Constitution de-
priving them Of the right of franchise.
March to the polls in solid ranks as
they did and show grim determination
that Maryland shall no longer be a
doubtful state.
Our sister states south of us have
shown the way 10 peace. prosperity,
and the rule Of the white man. and we
are more than fools if we walk not in
the light.
BY jumping from moving train,
James Loveless, employed by Sims 4