Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-24
IS FIGHT TO FINISH
Campaign in Maryland to Have
No FriIIs.
ELIMINATION OF THE NEGRO
Democrats Are Aggressive and in
Strong Position.
SPEAKERS ABLE TO TAKE PART
Republicans Seriously Handicapped
by the Election Law-Situation
in Dorchester County.
SPEAKERS ABLE TO TAKE PART
Special From STAFF Correspondent.

Special From STAFF Correspondent.
CAMBRIDGE Md, September 24.-Here
is political campaign which cannot be
treated in levity. There are no lights
and shadows in it; it is all shadow, ana
pretty dark, at that. I wish | were Writ
ing to you about Tammany, or about
Tom Johnson in Cleveland. or about
dear, dirty old Cincinnati or some other
campaign where we could get little
fun out of il as we go along. This is
d fight for blood. to the finish, and there
is not a smile in ii
Marylanders are just beginning to
realize the seriousness of the contest be-
fore them. Upon the outcome depends
the dsfranchiSement of about Is per cent
of the registered vote of the state in one
party and an unknown percentage in the
other Contingent also is whether Mary
land shall be certainly democratic for the
succeeding generation or whether it shall
continue a border state and close fighting
ground for both parties.
Another question to he decided by the
contest is whether Maryland is to be put
in the category of Mississippi and South
Carolina. forming another Bourbon
oligarchy.
Far overshadowng the struggle for
minor state offices and the legislative
ticket is the question of ratification or
rejection of the proposed constitutional
amendment DISTINGUISHING the greater
portion of the negro vote. 1t might as
well be stated this way. frankly at the
outset this object of the amendment;
for while it is not SO nominated in the
bond, and is denied in fne-drawn legal
argument, every voter knows what i
means-that it means only one thing, irf-
rl,,,f tt,Nt
literate negro from the polls and admit
the illiterate white man.
Good Fighting Ground.
came to the eastern shore to write
about the struggle, because in this VI
entity there are several counties where
the effect of the amendment, if adopted,
would be felt kaenest, leaving out the
black belt of southern Maryland. down
in "Marse Sydneys' district Further
more, this county of Dorchester has been
good fighting ground for the two parties
in county elections, Notwithstanding the
heavy handicap the republicans suffer in
the counting of the votes and the shut
ting out of the negroes
There is fair probability of the repub-
licans carrying Dorchester county on
the county and legislative ticket, due to
a bitter factional fight in the democratic
ranks. There is hardly the slightest rea-
son to think. however. that this county
will vote against adoption of the con-
stitutional amendment The fractional dis
agreement does not extend to the amend
ment, and 1t is my judgment, reached
after careful and unbiased investigation,
that the democrats VIII be practlcally
unanimous for the amendment, and the
county will consequently give majority
for it.
If the republicans could poll and have
counted the normal negro vote of the re-
gion they would stand fighting chance
to register Dorchester against the amend
ment, for the negroes are, aroused and
will not sell their votes to the democrats
this time. But the Wilson ballot law,
which applies to Dorchester and five
other counties in this congressional dis
trict will shut out about 800 negro votes
in Dorchester alone. They will not be al
lowed to vote on this question, which af-
fects their future political life
Guard Against Repetition
You must understand that when the
former attemptsto adept a disfranchise
ment amendment was beaten in the state
of Maryland by about 10000 the democrats
took order that no such fiasco should at
tend the next effort. They set about to
cripple the republican strength by apply
ing special election law to counties
where the negro vote was found.
At this point it might be well to COM
ment upon the strong position in which
the democrats find themselves in this con-
test, compared with the previous effort.
Then some of the big men in the party
opposed the amendment. The press of
the state was divided and the support of
the leading democratic newspaper was
lacking. Now the Baltimore Sun is
favor4ng the amendment heartily and eff
fectively. Such men as ex-Gov. Warfield
and Senator Rayner are advocating it.
These elements of Endorsement are very
powerful.
Opposed to them are some of the indie
pendents of prominence in Baltimore, who
cannot ease their consciences over the CON-
templated evasion of the Constitution OF
the United States, and some of the bust
ness men who resent Maryland being
classed with Mississippi and South Caro-
lima as ''negro-ridden' state and contend
that the material interests of Maryland
will suffer by an impression getting
abroad that the state is SO classed.
Example of Laws Operation. .
But to return to our mutton-I won't
say our black sheep; Cambridge, Easton
and vicinity will furnish striking exam
Piles of the beneficent working of the Will
son ballot law for the democrats. You
know in the past the llliterate negro vote
has been polled through the placing of
emblems on the ballots. The negro voter
unable to read. could mark his republican
IiChCt loiiCSl NY hdTSc ABE
Lincoln's head Or a log cabin, or a pillow,
or some other emblem, and all was plain
sailing until the counter got his clutches
on it, and then maybe it was counted, or
maybe 1t wasn't. The instruction of the
negro voters was easy.
In this election the negro, as he enters
the polling booth, will be handed a great
sheet of printed paper, probably yard
long and three fOurthS as wide. On it
will be printed in uniform type the names
of some foTty-odd candidates, represent
ing three parties. There will be nothing
to tell him usually what those lines of
type mean. The word Dem or Rep
Or "Prohib.' viii not follow any name nor
head a column of names. The twenty-one
candidates for county commissioners, for
example seven of whom are to be voted
for will be strung down line, repub-
licans democrats and prohibitonists
mixed together. If he marks them wrong,
out goes his ballot.
No Chance for Instruction.
| There will be no chance to instruct him
beforehand The printed ballot will not be
shown to any one except the democratic
supervisors until the Saturday before cleo
ton. The ballots will be printed secretly.
probably in printing office outside the
state, this time, to assure secrecy. The
illitarate negro will be up against it
good and hard" The illiterate white vot-
err will be aided. either by having black
line printed under his candidates, or hav-
ing them grouped conveniently SO he can