The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-01-07
NEW AMENDMENT IS
WORSE THAN LAST
Archibald H. Taylor Says 1t Puts
Premium On Ignorance.

Archibald H. Taylor considers the dis
branching amendment to be voted on
next fall worse than the former one and
he proposes to do everything in his
power to bring about its defeat. He
/ believes that its enforcement would be
in direct violation of the Fifteenth
Amendment to the Federal Constitution
but mindful of the seeming policy of the
Supreme Court to permit each State to
pass on questions of franchise, he is not
disposed to place any reliance on the
legal aspect of the case Neither is
his opposition to it based on these
grounds.
The amendment would, he says, put a
premium on ignorance by permitting
every white man to vote regardless of
his disqualification and bar out every
/ negro, no matter how deserving ne
might be. Mr.. Taylor refers to the
clauses of the amendment, taking in
one ass after another among white
| people, and then takes 10 the memory
test for negroes, declaring it so sweep
/ ing that not one mar out of dozen, no
matter how intelligent he may be, can
comply with it.
The measure has a property clause,
but MIR. Taylor practically ignores it,
because it would not, if applied to the
white people of the State, permit more
than one out of twenty to vote, and the
proportion of negroes will be much
greater.
So far as the white people of Mary
/ land are concerned, the amendment is
inclusive, but it is most exclusive when
/ applied to the negroes. As the result
of it, every white man, no matter how
ignorant he may be, will vote, and no
negro practically will enjoy this privi-
lege. With such law in force and the
politicians in the saddle, the best
thought in the community will be abso-
lutely ignored. and the politicians will
devote their attention to the ignorant
and irresponsible voter. This means
stagnation for Maryland not only in
material advancement, for the ignorant
white man, enjoying unusual power in
spite of his ignorance, will feel no in
centive to e ucate his children. This is
why Mr.. Taylor feels that the amend
ment is premium on ignorance.
He calls attention to the fact that
| West Virginia has twice turned down
DISTINGUISHING amendment and he de-
/ clares that no doubt could exist of the
attitude of Kentucky, Missouri and
other border States. Even the South
EN- States in which it is applied have
nothing so drastic as the amendment
proposed for Maryland, for they are so
framed as leave open door of hope for
! the negro of the future.
In the South the people had a choice
of two evils-ignorant domination by
the blacks or unusual power for the
politicians. They accepted the latter.
Here in Maryland the black vote has
never been an element of danger. Mr..
Taylor declares that it is impossible to
point to a single official chosen exclus-
lively by them, and those few they have
aided in electing have so acted as to
lead to the conclusion that they can be
compared very fayorably with others
fo4 whom no black votes were cast.
Under these circumstances, with ev-
erything to lose by adopting the amend
/ ment and nothing to gain from it, Mr..
Taylor believes it would be the heigl t
of folly for the white people of Mary
land to permit tito become law.
He believes, moreover, that it would
let in every white man vote now disbar-
red because of crime Some lawyers. he
says, differ with him on this point, but
he feels confident that he is right.