The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-08-19
AGAINST AMENDMENT.
Independent Democrats Strongly Gp-
pose DiSfranchisement.

suffrage amendment last week by
forming an organization to be
known as the Democratic Associa-
tion Opposed to the Disfranchise-
ment Amendment. Members of
the association will be voters who
are opposed to the amendment but
who are not registered as Repub-
liCans.
The association, in the follow
ing statement, set forth the object
of its organization:
/. Because the amendment has
been framed by a body of intense
partisans, seeking chiefly the per-
Petuation Of their power as Office
holders. It is their evident pur-
pose to disfranchise such a large
body Of voters that the present
power Of the independent voter
will be put an end 20 and Mary
land will become aone- party state.
This, in our opinion, would be
deplorable condition of affairs.
The faulty provisions and partisan
character Of the General Primary
Election Law passed by the legis-
lature Of 1908 show what complete
domination the Democratic ring
proposes to exercise.
?. Ii cannot be shown that the
present law Of Maryland permitting
all men to vote except those con-
victed Of crime, has been disad
vantage to our state. Ga the con-
trary, had it not been for the
independent vote and the negro
vote, Maryland's electoral vote
would twice have been given to
the candidates advocating free
silver" and other financial here
sizes. Maryland being a conserya-
tive state the wisdom Of any change
in our Constitution should be
thoroughly demonstrated.
3. 1t IS untrue to say that there
is any danger of negro domination
in Maryland, for the negro popu-
lation is less than IS per cent of
the whole, and this proportion is
constantly decreasing. The United
States Census shows the remarka-
bic fact that in all Maryland Eek
GLIDING Baltimore city, the total
negro population actually de-
creased from I So, 900 to I55,ooo in
the 20 years from 1880 to 1900.
1t is remembered that the amend
ment was brought forward for the
benefit Of the counties. The vot-
ers of Maryland should, therefore,
resent the effort now being made
by the Democratic politicians to
create throughout the country the
impression that our state is in the
same condition as Mississippi or
South Carolina.
+. II is not our purpose at the
present time to discuss in detail
the proposed amendment. We
object to a perpetual privileged
class created by the "grandfathers'
clause" 1t is un-American and
un-democratic. The Democratic
party has been pledged to insert
an educational test in any suffrage
amendment it would put before
the people. This pledge has been
violated and disingenuous scheme
substituted under which intelli-
gence is entirely disregarded. No
questions are asked Of the appli-
cant to register, and without aid
of any kind he is required to write
down correctly some IS matters
which have little bearing on his
right to vote. For example, if
he cannot write out correctly the
full name of the governor of Mary
land, the mayor of Baltimore and
a judge of the Court of Appeals
he will not be allowed to register.
The provision is simply a shrewd
and dishonest test Of memory,
which hardly one educated white
man in a thousand could hope to
pass. We unhesitatingly declare
that such a law would be a dis
grace to our state.
5. Finally, we oppose the amend
ment because we believe it to be