New-York tribune., 1908-12-30
vp TAFT on DrsFRANcHIsgMENT.

President-eIect Taft's letter. TO William r
Stone. Collector of the Port of Baltimore
disapproving of the proposed suffrage amend
nent 10 the Maryland constitution, expresses
an absolutely sound and logical Judgment.
Mr. Taft hluntly says that the amend1heht
is mot drawn in the spirit OF Jusuce anu
equality having regard for the FocrteenIn
"and Fifteenth amendments Inc 1rloune
reached and expressed the same conclusion
when the amendment in question passed the
MARYLAND Legislature last winter. There can
no no doubt of its purpose TO nullity the
-rovisions of the federal Constitution respect
ing suffrage limitations based on race, color
or previous condition of servitude.' The amend
ment was criticised by leading Democrats ne
cause if boldly challenged the tnhibitions sf the
federal. Constitution, but 1t was passed III spIIe
of all objections at the behest or the Demo
cratic state machine, which has always aimed
at grasping power at any cost and was sui
smarting from the rejection at the polls OF the
aouaIIv unconstitutional franchise amendment
of 1908.
The amendment of 1905 was beaten because
Democrats of the stamp of Senator RayneT and
Ex-Governor Warfeld opposed its ridiculous dis
ordinations in favor of native and against
1atUralized white voters. Those determinations
have been eliminated in the new suffrage
scheme and only the determinations against
cOlOred- voters remain Inc HaCHiHS Is no"
cracking the party whip. and hopes to force
enlightened Democrats 70 support disfran-
chisement scheme based badly on race and
color. AS we pointed out last winter. the pro
visions of the new amendment put in separate
class. subject to special tests, voters not quail
fed to vote before January l, 1869, and their
descendants, and also voters not naturalized
since January l. 1869 and their descendants.
The penalized voters can therefore include only
the negroes unenfranchised before January 1,
1869. and their descendants. Such classif1ca-
tion is. of course clear evasion of the guar
antees of the federal Constitution.
The President-eiect has put himself clearly
on record as not opposed to legitimate restric-
tions on the suffrage IN states in which large
classes of voters are ignorant and irresponsible.
That is a sound position. and no one would be
grudge limitations on the franchise which were
applied fairly and honestly to the whole voting
population. The fault with the Maryland
amendment is that it tries TO exempt some Il
terates and some detectives merely because of
claims of ancestry" It would he far wiser to
sacrifice the few white detectives along with
the many colored detectives. for the knowledge
that ignorance would not be condoned on &C
count Of departed ancestral prerogatives
would stimulate all classes to qualify them
selves for intelligent exercise of the suffrage.
Ex-Governor Warfield always favored a Just
and general educational test, and had his leader
ship been followed Maryland would now have
on its statute hook an unobjectona bic and help
full franchise limitation law. But the Demo
cratic machine leaders care nothing for logic.
equity or constitutional guara antees. Their crude
and oppressive disfranchisement will be sub
mitted 70 the voters next fall It should be de
feated as decisively as was the Poe-Gornaa n
monstrosity' III 1905.