The Democratic advocate., 1909-03-19
WHITE men MUST RULE
ADOPTION OF AMENDMENT NECESSARY
TO MARYLAND'S PROGRESS
Governor CrOiheFS Sounds Battle Cry
for The Coming Campaign

In the Baltimore Sun Of last Friday
Governor Crothers, in clear and yig-
orous statement, made plain his posi-
lion on the suffrage amendment
The Governor laughed at the inti-
nation that there is any uncertainty
as to his position He said he had
seen the published statements and had
no objection to relieving the minds of
those who entertain any doubt as to
his attitude In what he said he not
only dlspeis this doubt. but he gives
to Republicans, as well as Democrats
and Independents throughout the
State, food for thought, He said that
the purpose Of the amendment Is TO
lessen the ignorant and vicious negro
vote. To the statement that its adop-
tion would make Maryland a one
party State he answered that at this
time, with the race issue. II Is q one
party State, and that any citizen who
is satisfied solely to keep Il one
party State or wants to see The DEM
ocratic party win. regardless of poll
cies, record or effort 10 meet the re-
quirements Of progressive public
sentiment should unquestionahiy vote
against the amendment.
The experience has been. the Cover
nor said. that the people will put up
with the shortcomings Of the Demo-
cratic party and overlook many
things, because Of the serious conse-
quences OF the domination OF the other
party with its large negro vote.
The Democratic party" he said
with emphasis can win and win
handsomely with the race issue elm
mated, but 1t viii nave 10 do II with
Its platform, its candidates. It's de-
cency and its constructive legislation
These will have to be OF character
TO command the support Of the best
people,
For Simpler Ballot
The Governor urges his party, In
the coming State convention, 20 pledge
itself to repeal the Wilson ballot law
and the other election laws of the
State passed to restrict the negro vote,
II the amendment Is ratified, return
Ing to a plain, simple uniform ballot,
declaring that with the adoption OF
the amendment that the last vestige OF
an excuse for the continuance Of these
laws Will have disappeared He con-
trasts the attitude OF the Democratic
party upon the vital questions now
before the people In Maryland with
what he terms the unprogresaive at
titude Of the Republicans and urges
his party to demonstrate fits sincerity
by forging ahead on the lines and
proving to the people that II can be
trusted.
The Democrtic party In the last
campaign" he said. placed Ia IT'S
platform a distinct pledge 70 present
to the people for their approval a
suffrage amendment that would be
free from the objections made TO the
former amendment. ] was nominated
on that platform and stood upon H..
was elected on that platform and
am still standing on r. The party
was successful Ia the fight and 1t
promptly carried ont this pledge By
passing through the Legislature the
present proposed amcndnant which
Is free from the objecfipns made to
the first one Ia doing this the party
has fulfilled its duty 10 the people.
II has done its part, and II Is now
with the people to say whether they
want q change IN their fundamental
law that VIII eliminate the mass OF
Ignorant and vicious negro voters who
have for years clogged the wheels OF
progress, or whether they want pres
ent conditions 10 continue | am for
this amendment and ! am for II with
out reservation.
Now as 10 the amendment Itself
] may as well be frank--ihe purpose
OF the measure Is 10 lessen the un-
thinking and worthless negro vote IN
Maryland Upon this question within
the last year or SO there has been q
wonderful change OF opinion. Men
who blinded themselves 10 the facts
before have their eyes opened They
are seeing the facts as they are realiz-
ing the truth as IL is
What President Taft Said,
Take the words of President Taft,
the most conspicuous Republican in
the country, uttered few months ago
at the banquet OF the North Carolina
Society In New York. Here is what
he said
The proposal to repeal the Fifteenth
Amendment Is utterly impracticabie
and should be relegated to the limbo
OF forgotten Issues II Is very GER
tain that any party founded on the
proposition would utterly fail In a ma
tional canvass. What we are CON
sldering is something practical. some
thing that means attainable progress.
1t seems to me to follow, therefore,
that there Is, or ought to be, a COM
mon ground upon which we can all
stand In respect to the race question
I'm she South, and its political bear
ing. that takes away any justification
for maintaining The continued solidity
OF the South to prevent the so-called
negro domination.