The Democratic advocate., 1908-01-17
inaugural Address of Gov. Crothers.

inaugural Address OF GOV. OrotnorS.
The address delivered by Gov. Austin
L. Crothers, at Annapolis. on Wednesday,
the 9th instant, upon the occasion of his
taking the oath as Governor of Maryland,
is plain, straightforward and impressive
Democratic document, and we are sure has
been read with satisfaction by the Demo-
Gratis of the State.
The Governor takes up the various
pledges of the Democratic State convention
which placed the State candidates in the
field in August last; discusses them fully
and clearly, and insists upon the legislature
enacting into law, the promises which were
then made in the platform pledges.
And in this the Governor is right, and
we feel confident that the legislature,
which is largely Democratic, will not lag
behind him in this work.
That an honest and effective Corrupt Prac
tices Law will be placed upon the statute
books, we feel quite certain. This was
one of the party pledges and will be re-
deemed. 1t will, when it becomes law,
remove one of the most serious evils that
has debauched our politics. Every hon.
est citizen of the State, no matter what his
party affiliations are, will hail with salts
faction the enactment of such law. And
the Democratic party will be entitled to
the credit of this effort to purify our poll
tics.
Another pledge of the party, to which
the Governor calls attention is the suffrage
amendment.
The Democrats having three -ffths
majority in both branches of the legsla-
ture, we think they will, without doubt,
present to the voters of the State an
amendment to our Constitution, to take
from our electorate the ignorant and IT.
responsible element of our negro popula-
ton. The Attorney General has had in
conference some of the leading lawyers of
the State, going over the provisions of an
amendment for this purpose.
1t will be remembered that an amend
ment to accomplish the same purpose was
defeated in 1905. 1t was believed by
some to contain some Objectionable provi-
sions. And 50, Governor Warfeld and
other prominent Democrats opposed it.
The effort, at present, is to bring the
various views upon the subject into con-
ference, and then present an amendment
that will be supported by all. The ele-
ment that is sought to be eliminated from
the body of our voters, ought never to have
had the elective franchise conferred upon
them. There never was greater crime
perpetrated upon any people, than that
which was perpetrated by the Republican
party upon the white people of this coun
try, enfranchising the negro, who was
then, and is today, utterly untitled to ex-
ercise this highest function of American
citizenship. Let the colored man have all
his rights before the law. No man wishes
to deprive him of single right that the
law guarantees him. But we must re-
member that there is a wide difference
between civil and political rights. The
elective franchise is not right, but a
privilege granted by the State upon condi-
tions which it may prescribe. The right
70 vote only becomes a right, when the
State prescribes the conditions and the
citizen complies with thHm.
The party throughout ihe State should
require, and they do require, that the
present Democratic legislature shall redeem
every pledge made in the Democratic plat
form. And do it honestly and squarely.
Anything less than this will be severely
criticised by the people.