Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1909-09-10
For Surveyor.
CHARLES j. MADDOX.
Defends SUFFRAGE Law.


Attorney-General Isaac Lobe Straus, who
acted as chairman of the conference which
prepared the proposed suffrage amendment
to the Constitution, made the following
statement on Monday last concerning its
purpose and provisions
so many statements have been made
about the proposed suffrage amendment
that a plain and accurate explanation of
its provisions is due to the people.
ut was framed in compliance with a
leading pledge on which the Democracy
carried the State election of 1907, under
full publicity and after protracted hearings
and discussions by conference, including
a number of the leading lawyers and cti-
zens of Maryland. Among these were the
late William Pinkney Whyte, Governor
Crothers, Mr. Bernard Carter. Ex-Governor
Smith, Ex-Governor Brown, Senator Isidor
Rayner, Mr.. Marbury, Mr.. Barton, ex-At-
torney-Generals Poe and Bryan, Judge Hem
ry, Senator Arthur German, Colonel Schley,
Mr. Miles, Senator Lee, Senator Robinson,
Mr. Gull, Mr.. Bonsal, Congressman Talbot,
Gill and Covington, States Attorney Owens,
ex-Comptroller Smith, Senator Brewington,
Mr.. Peter, Mr.. Field and Mr. Mitchell.
acted as chairman.
"All of these gentlemen, except Governor
Whyte-of whom death has bereft u.s. but
whose great wisdom, experience and pa
triotism guided and aided us all in the
preparation of the proposed measure-and
except Messrs. Gull and Bonsal, are now
as earnestly in favor Of the amendment as
when they submitted it to the Legislature.
Messrs. Gull and Bonsal pledged their sup
port to the amendment upon condition that
the General Assembly should pass a salts
factory Corrupt Practices act and Primary
Election law for the whole State. They
both, understand, were satisfied with the
Corrupt Practices act. but not with the
Primary Election law which was passed
for the counties. No one can deny their
right to determine this matter for them
selves.
ut cannot be denied that the Primary
Election law for the counties, which itself
embraces the Corrupt Practices act, has
been vast improvement over old primary
methods, has furnished honest and fair
primaries under the sanctions of law, and
has unquestionably aided in putting the
Democratic party where it is today in
Maryland, on the basis of the direct vote
or Crawford county system of nominations
submit, therefore, to the impartial public
that the Primary Election law, though it
ought to be improved, suggests no reason
for opposition to the amendment.
Every one of the able lawyers who con-
structed the amendment bent himself to
the task of freeing it from the objections
which were urged against it and led many
of them to oppose the amendment submit
ted in 1905. They labored to make their
handiwork perfectly direct. straight-for-
ward and honest measure, which, while
containing every legal provision they could
think of to secure absolutely the ballot to
every white citizen, both native and for
eign born, in the State, and to prevent any
abuse in its administration. should be di-
rected to the single and exclusive object of
taking the suffrage away from the thous-
ands of illiterate and thriftless negroes
until they shall acquire either the limited
amount of property or education and in
telligence prescribed for them by the amend
ment.
THE grave and urgent reasons why the
election franchise should thus be taken
away from $4,000 or 10000 out of the
10000 negro voters in this State are too
plain for discussion. These $4,000 or 40
600 illiterates. who were given the suffrage
by naked fraud and violence under des-
potic military tyranny and coercion and
not in accordance with any of the prece-
dents or traditions of civil liberty or free
government, are admitted by almost every
civilized person, North or South and at
home and abroad. to be totally and utterly
unfit for it.
Maryland is the only community on the
whole face of the earth where these un-
fortunate beings are permitted to vote or
to take part in the government and rule of
white men. The people of Maryland stand
all alone under the burden of this indie
fensible evil. put upon them against the
protest which they overwhelmingly ex-
pressed at the polls in 1870.
Under the amendment the negro who
himself or whose wife pays taxes on $500
worth Of property or who can pass the
educational test or who was entitled to
vote anywhere in the United States on or
before January 1. 1869. or is descended
from one who was so entitled, may vote.
The door is closed to ignorance, iliteracy
and shiftliness. but open. as Ex-Governor
Warfield recommended it should be. to in
IeIlieenee or thrift on the neero's part.