The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-09-16
The Undesirable Element in Nary.
land Politics.

Democrat there was published over the
signature, "A Frederick Citizen" an
article in which the writer reaches the
limit of absurd and faulty argumenta-
ton in his plea in behalf of the propos-
ed suffrage amendment.
knowing the vital importance of this
question to your readers as well as to
every citizen of the county and state,
and knowing also that the actual pur-
port OF the proposed amendment does
not depend upon the statements of
campaign writer's or speakers, we be-
lieve that every voter should carefully
study the history, general structure and
possible operation of the amendment it.
self and thoroughly analyze, in the light
OF fairness, every argument produced
IN favor or against its adoption.
For example, We will examine the two
leading statements in the article pub
llshed in the Mountain Democrat. as
above referred to. The writer asserts
that the real purpose of the amendment
is to eliminate the undesirable element
from Maryland politics That state
ments carries with it the unavoidable
conclusion that there is an element in
the politics of the state which is dis
tasteful to some one. 1t is necessary
next to discover to whom this element
is undesirable, and when we find that
the amendment came out of the heart
OF the Democratic party, it is self evil
dent that the element was undesirable
to the Democratic party, since there
originated the scheme to eliminate f.
Therefore the only conclusion to be
reached is that the purpose of the pro-
posed amendment is to eliminate from
Maryland politics an element which is
distasteful to the Democratic party.
In the article under consideration the
writer states that the negro is the unde-
slrable element in Maryland politics.
Can this be true when all men NAV
know that the Democratic party was
conceived, brought forth and reached
maturity in the heart of the black
mans country. Her first step left
a tiny foot print in the sands that
burned beneath a southern sun, and to-
day in her decrepid old age she wanders
about the scenes of her childhood and
finds her only consolation. in the DAYS
OF her decline, the fidelity of the boast
ed solid south, and it is true that where
the negro is most numerous the democ-
racy is the strongest; but a closer study
will be to the point.
Were it the aim of the proposed
amendment to eliminate the colored vote
from politics, the educational test and
property qualification specified in that
measure, would be applicable only to
coIored voters, but since these tests are
applicable to more than the colored
voter and since it is an absolute fact
that there are hundreds OF negro votes
cast in the state, in favor and support
OF the Democratic party, and since the
history OF that party shows that it has
always been anxious to acquire votes
and ask no question as to whether or
not the voter is white man, a black
man or even a dead man, we are forced
to believe that the aim of the amend
ment is not to disfranchse the colored
voters in the Democratic party, nor to
disfranchise the negro voter alone in
the Republican party.
Again, an element that favors and
strengthens party could not be dis
tasteful to that party. 1t therefore
follows that an element which is unde-
sirable to political party must be an
element which opposes that party.
What is it in Maryland politics which
opposes the Democratic party and
threaten its dethronement? 1t is IN
questionably the Republican party and
its recent growth. Thus we see that
the undesirable element in MARYLAND
politics, undesirable to the Democratic
party, is not the negro, but the Repub-
lican voters without regard to color.
creed or condition The situation, then.
is briefly summed up in the statements
that there is an element in Maryland
politics which is undesirable 10 the
Democratic party, ana that distasteful
elements the Republican voter and tax
ing the Democrats own statement that