Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1907-11-15
To Reduce Negro Vote.

II Is fairly well assured that the Demo
cratic leaders of the next General Assembly
will propose to the people OF Maryland a
constitutional amendment to reduce as lar
as possible the large illiterate negro vote
which exists in the State. This amend
ment, it is understood, will differ In several
important particulars from the suffrage
amendment which was defeated In l90o
A strong effort will be made to avoid those
features of the last amendment to wnicn
effective objection was made. There Will Do
no underlined discretion or power vested IN
the registration officials. The provisions oil
the proposed amendment will be as denniIe
and certain as possible. There will, 1t is
also stated, be an appeal to the courts ex
pressly provided for the citizen in order 10
correct any abuse OF power on the part oil
the registration officers. The rights OF ior'
eign born citizens will be accorded careful
consideration and the fullest protection and
security. The idea will be to secure the vote
of the white citizen and eliminate only the
illiterate negro voter from the State elector-
ate. 1t is believed that this can be constitu.
tionally accomplished.
Another important feature OF the amend
ment now under consideration Is that an
effort will be made to make 1t reflect the
views of every shade of opinion in the Dem
ocratic party on the subject, as well as the
opinions Of nonpartisan citizens, both native
and naturalized, and leading Republicans
who are In favor OF eliminating the ballots
of illiterate negroes from the suffrage. To
this end there will be an earnest attempt to
unite all classes and all elements OF the De-
mocracy with independents and liberal
minded Republicans upon measure which
they all can approve and which public opin-
ion In the State will probably support. In
this way it is hoped to avoid the mistake Of
presenting an amendment which reflects the
views Of only single wing OF the party in
stead OF the views of wide and varied cir
Gle Of citizens, including Democrats, indie.
pendepts and nonpartlsans as well. II Is
believed that the course above indicated will
be adopted by the leading men and inau-
ences Of the party.
1t is practically settled that the Democrats
will have majority Of fully three filths OF
the membership OF each branch OF the Cen
eral Assembly. This will enable them to
propose suffrage amendment to the people.
The party Is distinctly pledged TO the plat
form adopted by the last State convention
and on which the recent election was 30
sweepingly won by the Democracy, to sub
init constitutional amendment to eliminate
the illiterate negro from the State voters
without, however, In any manner endanger-
ing the voting right of the ioregn-born citi-
zen and which shall also be free from the
objections which were made against the
amendment of 1906.
Mr.. Isaac Lobe Straus, the newly elected
Attorney General, will probably be request
ed to thoroughly examine all the Constitu-
tions of the Southern States, as well as those
of many leading States Of other sections OF
the country, and prepare the preliminary
draft Of an appropriate amendment to be
submitted to the leading Democratic mem
bers OF the Legislature, as we'll as other
Democratic leaders, and also to prominent
lawyers and citizens, including loreign-born
citizens and prominent Republicans who
favor the Acknowledgement Of the illiteratt
negroes, with a view OF harmonizing every
variety of sentiment which Is fundamentally
In favor OF REFRESHING the ignorant Negro
vote.
1t 10 believed that Mr.. Straus is especially
equipped to prepare the draft of the desired
amendment BY reason Of his acquaintanc,
with the decisions OF the Supreme Court or
the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments
and on other constitutional questions per
tanning to the suffrage and the respectiv.
rights Of the States and the Federal Govern
ment.
After the preliminary draft is completed
by Mr.. Stratus II will be submitted to the
regular party leaders, including Messrs. Poe
German, Miles, Vandiver, Talbot and
others who favored the last amendment, and
also to Senator Whyte, Senator Rayner and
Governor Warfield, who opposed the last
amendment, and also to the independent
Democrats such as Messrs. William l..
Marbury, John E. Semmes, Roger W. Gull
and Leigh Bonsal, and also to leading Tor.
eign born citizens and also to Republicans
opposed to illiterate negro voting. In this
way it is hoped that alter the matter has
been deliberately considered by all the ele-
| ments above referred to o satisfactory con-
etituliOnal amendment will be framed which
will gain the support of majority Of the
people Of Maryland.
1t is recalled that most OF the Democrats
and independents who opposed the suffrage
amendment Of 1905 openly declared them
selves as opposed TO an illiterate negro suf-
frage and as In favor Of an amendment TO
disiranchise the ignorant negroes which
should be free from the objections they
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