Evening star., 1908-01-29
KNOCKOUT MEASURE
Disfranchisement Scheme OF
Democrats in Maryland
T0BE CONSIDERED TONIGHT
Outline Given of the Proposed Legis-
lation.
HARD BLOW TO BLACK VOTE
Most Remarkable Feature Is the
Memory Clause, Which Gives
It "Flexibility.
HARD BLOW TO BLACK VOTE
Special nlsnatch 10 The Star.

Special Dispatch 10 The Star
BALTIMORE. Nd. January 2a.-To-
night the eight apostles Of democracy
chosen by Attorney Genecal Straus 10
pass upon the final draft of the disfran-
chisemcnt amendment will meet at the
Eutaw House. The measure as completed
represents tho work of two months. much
wrangling. impa sSioned appeals for har-
mony and threats of bolting if certain fea-
lures were not included. Attorney Cen
eral Straus. the presiding genius OF the
committee which drafted the measure.
resolutely declines to make public. until
after tonight's meeting, the qualifications
included in the amendment. 1t is TO be
deep. dark secret until tho dawn of To-
morrow. when the people whose right TO
vote is being regulated shall know what
has been decided upon.
However. despite al precautions. there
has been i leak" and The Star corre-
spondent is enabled to give an outline OF
the measure which Is scheduled Tor lflai
adoption tonight The following are the
principal features Of ,fe- amendment.
An educational clause requiring the
prospective voter to write out on dlctation
a section Of the Constitution.
A property clause allowing those who
pay taxes on 500 of property 10 vote.
\ memory clause, requiring applicants
for registration vino do not come In un-
der other qualifications. to write from
memory paragraph WAlch Is 10 DC Iedu
10 them.
y 2randfather's clause.
\ naturalzed voters clause.
Snake in Amendment.
The fine Italian hand of the ''old
-i,71r
amendment 10 the state constitution is to
pcrpetuate their political oligarchy. is
plainly seen in the memory" clause.
Under the provisions of this seemingly
harmless little .'safeguard' to secure an
intelligent plebscite in Maryland, the APP
plicant for registration Will find himself
up against a stiff proposition. For In
stance. the paragraph which must be
written from memory may be read rapid
" or slowly. and it may be brief or
lengthy to fit the case If the applicant
be "a colored man or be recognized as
republican the paragraph may be lengthy
and it may be read hurri@dly, thus max
ing it impossible task for the applicant
10 remember the paragraph in question.
If the applicant on the other hand, be a
white man. and presumably democrat.
the paragraph may be brief and may be
re11 SLOWLY This clause furnishes the
much- desired ''fexibility. and is
par with that clause in the Poe amend
ment which brought defeat to that meas
ufe in 1906. and which required the appl-
cant for registration TO read and inter-
pret an article of the state constitution,
or, If unable to read. to interpret an
article when read TO him. The amendment
as framed in these respects was TO satisfy
the party managers of the eastern shore
and the southern Maryland counties, and
is prac tically as pernicious as the Poe
plan. which was showed under by ma
jority of - 900 votes.
Negro Voters Hard Hit.
The educational and memory tests
are expected to disfranchise about 30 per
cent of the negro vote. The amendment
provides for the right of appeal TO the
courts in any individual case and another
test sof the applicants ability before the
court. but II is we'll known that there are
limits to the extent to which appeals OF
this kind may be taken. ii also provides
that in the educational and memory tests
the scctipn of the constitution and para
graph read to the applicant and written
by him must be kept as a record and SUBJ
mitted tosthe court in case of appeal
The property qualification will also make
heavy inroads in the negro vote. as. from
figures obtained from the state bureau
of statistics and information. it is shown
that only very small proportion of the
negro population will be admitted under
this clause, which requires the payment
As to Constitutionality
Both the grandfather's clause and the
naturalized-voter clause will cease TO be
operative after the year 1920. Men who
come of age after that period will have
10 come in under the educational or prop
crty tests. and this will apply to all citi-
zcns-white and black foreign and ma
tive born, This provision. it is stated
was inserted to satisfy certain men who
had fears about the injustice of the
srandfathcr's clause at all. but who were
not averse to closing their eyes to the
species of deception inherent in any such
clause II thereby an improved suffrage
law RaS gained. These men regard the
srandfather's clause as a form of educa-
tinnal and property qualification to be-
come operative a dozen years hence. They
claim that this provision will greatly in
crease the chances of the amendment
being declared constitutional If il is taken
on appeal to the United States Supreme
Court
Party Whip to Crack
When the amendment is formally
adopted by the committee tonight the
party bosses will take charge of the
measure. The draft will be intrusted to
Attorney General straus who will take
it TO Annapolis tomorrow morning. Then
city and county bosses. and plan will be
decided upon 10 put the measure through
the general assembly. This will proba bly,
take the form of caucus, TO be held
Friday night. at which the entire demo-
cratic membership in both branches of
tho legislature will he pledged 10 support
the measure. and the party lash will be
vigorously employed. and this part OF the
program vii! 90 through with a rush.
With the big ms jority the party has in
both branches il VIII not be hard to rail
road the amendment through its pas
sage. once out Of the legislative branch
the measure will go before Gov. Crothers,
who. IL may be stated. Will not be slow in
afiiXing his signature,
Republicans to Fight.
Despite the fact that the republicans
are in hopeless minority in both
branches, the measure Will meet solid
phalanx of republican senators and dele
gates. who will use every parliamentary
weapon TO encompass its defeat gem
eral plan of opposition To the measure
will be agreed upon at u conference of
the republicans to be held this week The
minority is handicapped in this instance
by tho precedent OF calling the previous
question in the senate, and thus are facing
the prospect OF an early close in the de-
bate. However. knowing that ultimate
defeat Is in store for them, the republi-
cans Will al every opportunity expose the
iniquities OF the amendment and will
hight the measure to the last ditch.
Lucy Holcombe Chapter Meets.