Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-10-07

by force, shall he restricted and ITS
power for evil destroyed
"This Democratic convention. repre-
senting two-thirds of the white people
of the State. reafFirms the declaration
of our party in our platforms of 1899
and 1903 upon this subject and now pro-
claims anew our resolute purpose to
maintain the supremacy of our race
and its control by all lawful and con-
stitutional means of the administration
of the political affairs of the State.
Upon this question. distinctly pre-
scented in the campaign of 1903 as the
paramount issue of that contest. we
succeeded in obtaining three-ffths of
the Senate and of the House of Dele
gates, and for the first time in many
years found ourselves in position to
redeem our pledge to the people and
obey their command by preparing and
submitting for their adoption an amend
ment to our constitution to cure the in
tolerable evil from which we have
suffered so long.
"Our Democratic Legislature of 1904.
clothed with this power and exclusively
charged with this duty and responsible
ty. proceeded with care and deliberation
to frame an amendment. which. while
avoiding all conflict with the Fourteenth
and Fifteenth Amendments Of the Con-
stitution of the United States. will. if
adopted. rescue us in Maryland from
the blight of ignorant and debased
negro suffrage
1T will keep from our registration
books the names of thousands of ignor
ant and venal negroes totally unfit to
vote. and will thus go far to lessen the
evils of absolute and unrestricted negro
suffrage.
1T will give us the great and ines
Unable boon of intelligent manhood suf
frage and secure to us the priceless
benefit of the political supremacy of
the white people of the State.
And these ends will be accomplished
righteously, honestly. by fair means:
for with bipartisan boards of registra-
ton. constant attendance of party
watchers in the registration room and
full right of appeal to the courts. pro-
vided and secured by law, which we
pledge ourselves to maintain arbitrary
and unjust denial of registration to men.
white or black. truly entitled to be
registered, will be practically impossible.
Believing. therefore. that the amend
ment will operate as an effective remedy
for the evils of our situation, without
prejudice or injury to any race or class:
regarding it, moreover. as a complete
response to the clearly expressed man
date of the people, we unreservedly
commend and approve it.
1--WE make il the single issue of this
campaign.
I'VE declare il to be our battle cry.
The negro vote as it stands to-day
is perpetual menace to the prosperity
and peace of Maryland: a menace To our
very civilization, for it is ignorant,
corrupt. the blind instrument Of UNI
scrupulous and selfish leaders.
white voters divide upon measures
of public policy. They keep alive the
movements of patriotism which make
popular government possible. The
negro voters never divide. They re-
main a compact mass, under all circum
stances, subject to the orders of their
managers, asking no questions mere
unthinking herd to be delivered in the
market place.
with such factor forever present
in the equation of our political destinies
factor potent enough to turn the
scale. but always insensible to the
promptings of true citizenship what
hope of honest and enlightened govern
ment is possible?
1.-THE Democratic party, therefore,
representing two-thirds of the white
people Of the State. now proposes an
amendment to the constitution of Mary
land under the operation of which the
evil in question will be greatly reduced.
We do this not only in discharge of a
solemn duty imposed upon us by the
popular vote of 1903. but with the pro-
found conviction that il will open the
way to intelligent and clean politics by
lodging the power in the honest. re-
sponsible and patriotic masses without
reference to their party inclinations and
affiliations.
ut is alleged. though without truth
or justice. that the amendment con-
templates the oppression of class. AS
a matter of fact it does nothing Of the
kind. We seek merely to set up a
standard of citizenship whereby the
obviously unfit may be excluded from
the ballot box and TO lift the franchise
from the gutter into the realm of
common decency.