The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-04-25
BURNING POLITICAL
ISSUE IN Maryland
Is the Disfranchiseme1t OF Many
Voters For Over a Century the
Question Has AriSen!at Differ
ent Times,

ent Times.
The burning issue in Maryland for
over a century has been the disfran-
chisement of voters. 1t is the boast of
some of the friends of the late Senator
A. p. German that he left the Demo
cratic party in Maryland a live issue
the Acknowledgement Of voters. That
issue is looming up again and is inspir-
ing the leaders and followers of the
regular Democratic organization of the
city and state to extraordinary efforts
to win in Baltimore in May, in order
that IL, way may be paved for favor
able vote in November upon the call for
a constitutional convention which must
be voted upon at the fall election in
conformity with the Constitution, which
requires a vote at intervals of 20 years
upon the question whether there shall
or shall not be a new convention to
amend the old Constitution.
If the convention is called, and if con-
trolled by the Democrats, the Poe
amendment, which was defeated two
years ago will be Incorporated in the
Constitution, which will be proclaimed
and not submitted to the people for
their approval or disapproval
The Poe amendment when once a
law, will enable the Democrats to seize
the reins Of government of this city and
state and perpetuate that power during
the next generation, for all efforts TO
dislodge them will prove to be fruitless.
Recall the Poe amendment Here it is:
Section |. All elections by the people
shall be by ballot Every male citizen
of the United States, whether native
born or naturalized, of the age 81 years
or upwards who has resided in this
state for one year and in the legislative
district of Baltimore city or in the coun-
ty in which he may offer to vote for six
months next preceding the election, and
who, moreover, IS duly registered as a
5 qualified voter as provided in this arti-
Gle, shall be entitled to vote in the ward
or election district in which he resides
at al elections hereafter to be held in
this state and in case any county OF
city shall be so divided as to form por-
r tons of different electoral districts for
r the election Of representatives in Con
2 gress, senators, delegates or other Off
' GERS, then. to entitle a person to vote
for such officer, he must have been a
| resident Of that part of the county OF
, city which shall form part Of the cleo
. toral district in which ne offers to vote
t for six months next preceding the cleo
\ ton; but person who shall have &C
quired residence in such county OF
n city, emitting him to vote at any such
election shall be entitled to vote in the
t election district from which he removed
until he shall have acquired a residence
in the part Of the county to which he has
removed. Every such male citizen Of
the United States having the above
prescribed qualifications of age and res
idence shall be entitled to be registered
so as to become a qualified voter if he
be
First-A person able to read any sec
ton of the constitution of this state sub
mitted to him by the officer of registra
ton and to give a reasonable explana
ton of the same; or, if unable to reaC
such section, is able to understand anC
give a REASONABLE explanation thereo
when read to him by the registration
officers; or,
Second-A person who, on the frs
day of January, 1869, or prior thereto
was entitled to a vote under the laws O.
this state or any other state of the Unit
ed States wherein he then resided; or,
Third-Any male lineal descendant o
such last mentioned person who may b,
twenty-one (2D years age or over il
the year 1906.
No person not thus qualified by com
ing under some one of the above de
scriptions shall be entitled to De regis
tered as qualified voter, nor be entitle
to vote
The Poe amendment, the burning
issue in Maryland, the burning issue i
the present campaign in Baltimore, re
veals what seems to be constant pun
pose in Maryland to disfranchise some
; body. Geo. Alfred Townsend best dc
scribes the history of dsfranchisin
j. movements in Maryland
IF am familiar with Maryland his
tory" said Mr.. Townsend, himself
Marylander, in one of his interestn
letters, "the itch is to disfranchise som
, useful element is as old as the province
The Catholics were put down for 20 year
until they were reduced, says McShel
ny, to one-thirteenth of the population
The Jews were not allowed to be cit
7 zens of Maryland until 1886, and ever
humane legislators who tried to hel
. them to the suffrage was defeated fc
reelection. Yet the Jews sold out {
Baltimore last year 500, 900, 900 of mar
ufactured clothing, said to be the chic
articla of that citv'c maa1tb