The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1907-12-13
LLNIIED We STAND.


No more healthy sign of a virile
1olitical party which inspires the re-
snect of its enemies as we'll as the
confidence and loyal support or IT'S
friends can be shown than a prompt
effort after success at the polls to
carry out the pledges on which 1t
won. We are therefore more than
orati6ed to know, first, that the
question of a constitutional amend
ment is to be at once taken up, and,
second, that proposed amendment
will be framed which will be the pro-
duct of careful thought and concerted
action instead of being labeled with
any one mans name, thus seriously
handicapping its passage by the ieg's-
lature.
We believe ii is conceded by the
majority of Maryland's citizens that
an effective constitutional provision
should be enacted which will ellml-
nate the ignorant colored man from
politics but will not disfranchlse our
large foreign population.
In that we have this second class
to deal with, we differ from the other
southern states. They have nearly
all framed constitutional amend
ments which have retired the bulk OF
their colored men to industrial pur-
suits without doing violence to the
constitution of the United States,
but they have had very small
population except those OF native
birth.
We see no good reason why we
should hesitate to support an amend
ment which will practically work as
above indicated; all of us are OF
foreign origin if we so back a few
genera tions, hence we have no reason
to close the door of hope against the
foreign born white man as soon as
he has been here long enough to &C
uuire the intelligence requisite for
citizenship. With him this time is
not ordinarily very long; he comes
from European countries which tor
the most part have been organized
governments for many centuries, and
every citizen there of has to atleast a
degree studied the principles of good
government and the duties of a good
citizen, hence when he becomes as
simulated with native Americans he
soon acquires correct ideas on the
-uhject.
Not so with the colored man; he
:omes originally from a country de-
void of the first principles of civiliza-
ton, and during his whole existence
here up to 1869 he was carefully
guarded so as to prevent him from
learning instead of having been given
the opportunity; then with one fell
stroke he was elevated to a dignity
for which absolutely no preparation
had been made. This unfortunate
mistake is so thoroughly recognized
now by all men in all parties that it
calls for no argument but cries for a
remedy, and we believe that under
proper restraining provisions now
he will soon find au incentive to &C
quire that degree of intelligence which
heretofore has not been asked and
hence not sought.
The product of the present united
effort to frame this amendment
after frank conferences and generous
concert of action will probably be a
bill which all can and will unite in
supporting at Annapolis next winter
and on the stump in the subsequent
campaign before the people.
THE FARMERS BALANCE SHEET.
The Maryland farmer has seldom
had more unreasonable weather to
contend with than he has encounter
ed during the past nine months.
The spring season was cold and wet,
throwing seeding a month late; the
same condition continued during the
summer, TIE wet weather especially
retarding harvest; and it extended
into the middle fall, making seeding
and corn harvesting exceptionally
late; yet conditions have been sud
denly reversed during the past two
months and the close of open weather
seems to L- at hand with no one
ready for winter.
Nevertheless the report of the Sec
rotary of Agriculture shows that out
of this years work the farmer at
large will have more to spend and
more to invest than he ever had be-
fore. This result is primarily due to
advanced prices as compared with
those of last year. For instance, last
year the Hartford farmer sold his
wheat for seventy cents, this year for
ninety-dve cents; last fall his corn
,.rought two dollars and a-half per
barrel, this fall it is bringing over
three dollars; last year his hay
Drought from ten to twelve dollars
(if he had any; this year he is getting
from sixteen to eighteen dollars.
And so we might illustrate by his
tomatoes, apples, cattle, &c.
Ofall Of our national crops, corn
cuts the leading figure. True the
crop is not equal to that of last year,
but four-hfths of the worlds crop is
grown in the United States; and, as
we have shown, the price is upwards