The Democratic advocate., 1905-08-12
of their inability, whether the same
arises from want Of sufficient education

of their inability, whether the same
arises from want Of sufficient education
or any other cause whatever.
The right, in other words, is made to
depend upon the fact OF the inability to
read. and not at all upon the cause Of
such inability. Hence the practical and
substantial test of admission to regis
tration or exclusion from it under this
whole clause is the ability or inability
Of the applicant to understand and
give reasonable explanation" of any
section of our State Constitution read
to him by the Registration Officers. No
greater or different test is required
from the man who can read and the
man who cannot read. Both are
required to be able to give a rea-
sonable explanation Of any section SUBJ
mitted by the Registration Officers.
The man who can read and give rea-
sonable explanation of the section which
is submitted to him to be read by him
is put upon the same plane precisely as
the man who cannot read, but can un-
derstand and give a reasonable expla-
nation of the section read to him.
And so, too, the man who cannot
read the section submitted to him to
be read by him, but is called on to give
a reasonable explanation of a section
read to him by the Registration Officers
is put upon the same plane precisely as
the man who can read the section SUBJ
mitted to him by the Registration OFF,
GERS to be read by him.
Starting, therefore, with this plain
Interpretation Of the meaning of the
whole clause. viz, that any illiterate
man, whether white or black, who can
understand and give a reasonable eX-
PLANTATION of any section of the Con-
stitution which may be read by him to
the Registration Officers or read to him
by them, is entitled to registration, tho
question is whether in connection
with the other clauses of the Amend
ment, it is a good and desirable amend
ment to the Constitution Of Maryland,
and, as such, should be adopted by the
people, or whether it is the bad propo-
sition which some of its opponents
proclaim it to be. and, as such, should
be rejected.
NO mace
In passing upon this question we
must consider at the very outset wheth-
er it violates either the Fourteenth or
Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitu-
tion of the United States.
The Fifteenth Amendment declares
that "the right of citizens of the United
States to vote shall not be denied or
abridged by the United States, or by
any State, on account of race, color, or
previous condition of servitude"
Looking to the language of the clause
under consideration. it is manifest that
it applies equally and impartially alike
to both white and black citizens Of the
United States. No discrimination is
made for or against any citizen on ac-
count of race or color, and hence there
is no possible room for the suggestion
that the Fifteenth Amendment stands
as an obstacle in its way.
Taking up the Fourteenth Amend
ment, we find that it's first section has
been repeatedly held by the Supreme
Court of the United States to have no
application whatever to the question
of suffrage, and this must now be treat
ed as absolutely settled.
AS to the second section of the Four
teenth Amendment the utmost that
has ever been suggested Is that an ed
ucational qualification may subject the
State imposing 1t to reduction of its
representation in Congress and In the
Electoral College, but Judge Cooley
clearly shows in his "Principles of Con-
quire ability to read is no denial OF
suffrage and hence that such denial
cannot be a violation of the second
section Of the Fourteenth Amendment.
All objection to this educational test
clause as contrary to either the Four
teenth or Fifteenth Amendments being
thus eliminated, we have only to con-
slider it's expediency under our existing
political conditions in Maryland.
To judge this properly we must as
certain whom it will reach and control
and how it will operate.
Taking it in connection with the
other sections of the proposed amend
ment, 1t is clear that it does not affect
or touch in the registration of the year
1906 any native born white man whom
soever who voted anywhere in the
Union on January, 1869, or earlier, nor
the lineal descendant of any such ma
tive born white man. 1t will not and
can not apply to or exclude any such
men.
Nor will it apply to any naturalized
citizen OF the United States who on
January l, 1869, or earlier, voted any
where in the Union. nor to the lineal
descendant of any such naturaliZed cit
izen.
Nor will 1t apply to any black man
who voted anywhere in the Union on
January l. 1869, or earlier, or the lineal
descendant Of any such black man.
The problem presented to the Dem
ocratic Senate and House of Delegates
at the session of 1904 was this: How
can we frame an amendment to the
Constitution OF Maryland which, while
not violating either the letter or the
spirit Of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth
Amendments to the Constitution of the
United States, will rescue our State
from the evil and peril Of ignorant ne
gro suffrage?
Inc prOpOSeu dlneIutneuI solNeS lhlS
problem.
Suffrage Not Natural Right.
Suffrage is a valuable privilege, but
it is not a natural right. (Anderson
VS.. Baker, 90 Md, 531) Hence no in
Justice is done by withholding 1t from
persons who are not able to appreciate
and exercise it with discrimination and
moderate intelligence. and the condi-
ton upon which 1t is offered, viz, an
ability to understand and explain sec
ton of the Constitution is certainly
not a rigorous, exacting or harsh con-
dition.
Indeed, it is a small price to demand
for so large boon.
The educated negro who wishes to