The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-08-11


amendment; the same right of
appeal which exists today will
exist then. Some hardships may
accrue to a small minority, but
it only carries out the popular
acclaim for the greatest good to
the greatest number, and while a
few may suffer. thousands will be
able to rejoice at the deliverance
from a bondage which has held
our people in subjugation ever
since the unholy and fraudulent
adoption of the Fourteenth and
Fifteenth Amendments to the
Constitution of the United States.
A BENEFIT TO THE NEGRO.
SIN the elimination of the
negro from his present political
slavery, worse than ever existed
prior to the great war between
the States. we feel that the bless
ings of freedom will be appre.
ciated by the negro, for he will no
longer be the bonded hireling of
a corrupt political boss. who uses
him for his own selfish ends-he
will be found in the fields or in
other avenus of work at his
daily labor, no longer roaming
the country roads by night to
visit the schools and churches to
learn how to mark his masters
ticket-no longer a frequenter of
the crossroad, grog shop, where
free tanglefOOt is dealt out until
dazed and staggering, he finds
his bed in fence corner, untitled
for work on the morrow. Thus is
the negro labor of the State de-
mOralized by the selfish aims and
aspirations of Republican bosses.
Eliminate him as voter, free
him from this selfish slavery, and
it may yet be time to find him
returning to the old ways, cheer
full and cOntented at work, put
ting by little for a rainy day
and making himself a better citi.
zen. The State has been most
generous to the negro; thousands
of dollars from the white tax
payer is each year expended for
his public schools, and yet under
political slavery he has made
little advancement in the high
tide of civilization; he is but the
blind tool of his political masters.
No independence of thought ami
mates him, no manhood to do as
his conscience might dictate;
those who have dared are oStra-
cised by their own people from
schools, from churches, from
every congregation of their race,
and there is no changed condi-
tons in sight which will remedy
this situation of affairs.
NEGRO IN THE SOUTH.
',In the South, where the negro
is no longer a political factor,
marked improvement is seen in
his general condition. He is more
reliable as a laborer, more saving
and thrifty than when depending
upon the favor of a political boss
for the few dollars secured during
the times of primaries and county
conventions. Fail to pass the
amendment and Baltimore will
become the rendezvous of thou
sands of negroes from Virginia,
North and South Carolina. What
matters it whet er the phraseol
ogy of the bill is different from
what we wanted; what if it con
tains provisions we do not espec-
tally admire. it will accomplish
the general end for which we all
have labored and bring about
results freighted with good for all
the people. n
"My attention to the necessity
of such an amendment as we have
before us today was first at
tracted by the reading of the able
articles which appeared in the
Baltimore San on the conditions
now existing in the Black Belt
Of this State. Indeed, these ar.
ticles were the first to make
known the dreadful situation in
that part of Maryland. They
opened the eyes of our people
and were the means Of causing us
to realize that something should
he done for the general prOtec-
ton Of the whiie race against the
negro voters and the corrupt use
of them by Republican district
bosses.
A DEMOCRATIC MEASURE.
elbow we'll l can recall the
plan of campaign laid down dur
ing the days when l followed the
fortunes of the bonnie blue flag of
the South. Tell me, fellow-Dem.
ocrats, if you know of one loyal
officer under the noble Lee or the
gallant StOnewall Jackson who
would have failed to carry out
such an order even if he did not
agree as to all its details; what
barefoo:ed boy who wore the gray
wnnld have faltnrad in his dnfV