Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1905-10-10
AN ANALYIs OF THE SUFFRAGE
QUESTION

YVES tON
In the first sentence Of the platform
adopted at the recent Democratic con
vention it is announced "bv common
consent, the only issue in this cam
paign if whether negro suffrage, pot
upon US against our will by force,
shall be restricted and its power for
evil destroyed. +"
lie us analyze the accusation that
its power is for evil The evil must
flow from the exercise OF the elective
franchise. other wise the deprivation
OF the right TO vote will not cure the
evil. What does the black man do as
political factor ? This may be an
swered in the language of the plat
form, cit is ignorant, corrupt, the
blind instrument of INSCRIPTIONS and
selfish leaders. Who arc the IN
scrupulous aud selfish leaders referred
to Not the Democratic leaders, for
such epithets would be a PROCLAMATION
of the holy, disinterested patriotism
that actuates them ia their efforts to
purify the electorate So it must
be the Republican leaders who are un-
sorupulous and selfish.
The essence of the wrong is now
reached, to wit: The negro votes the
Republican ticket under the blind
guidance of its leaders The right to
vote, in theory. il conferred for the
good of society. If any damage comes
OF its exercise il must be in the prac-
tioal use to which it is pot Ii the
Negroes franchise is harmful it must
be because when he discharges this
duty he votes for candidates and prin-
ciples hostile to the public welfare. He
must, therefore, cause this evil con-
sequence to follow when he supports
the Republican party. This can be &C
complshed in no other way than as it
finds concrete existence in Republican
policies; is reflected in the measures of
his party. Ii he does not vote he is
not harmful. The platform makers
must admit this II he votes the Dem
ooratic ticket he is not harmful. The
platform makers must admit this or
proclaim their ticket and policies
harmful. AS there is no other course
of action il he votes at all. this process
of reasoning. as sound as any theorem
of Euclid, most locate the evil of his
action in his voting the Republican
ticket and placing that party in
power The platform makers, to be
consistent and logical, must admit
this.
This evil is equally the result of
the acts of white and black men
each equally guilty. one being as much
Tin his voting) an enemy to society
rs the other. and each deserving of the
same punishment. Either this con.
olusion is coTrect or the platform
makers have not assigned the true
ground of the evil in the fact that
the negro is tho "blind instrument
of the Republican leaders. If the
gravamen of the charge is in his un-
falteriDg allegiance to certain men
aud measures, no matter how vicious
they may be, then in truth does the
platform proclaim sound political
principles. 1t then announces that
true citizenship is not measured by
patty fealty and that it is a crime
against society for voters to support
blindly policies which their con.
science condemns.
There is no escape from this reason
ing, and the logic of the platform
justifies by its own standard the
action of many Democrats in with
holding their support from the amend
ment. When the complaint against
the negro is his complete subsection
TO party dictation the one complain.
ing is hardly in position to critioise
those who intend to profit by the pre-
oept, and as good Democrats set the
example of praoticing what the plat.
form in this resreot breaches.
There are thousands of Democrats
in the State of Maryland who will
vote against the present amendment.
but who stand ready to give their sup
port TO measure which will elimi-
nate from our electorate that element
which is damaging to society 1t
must, however, be done in way that
does not degrade our judiciary system
by placing upon the bench every reg.
istration officer clothed with the deli
cate and important duty of settling
constitutional rights.