Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1909-05-13

From he baltimore SUM-

=" r't@" 49, 1890. 1922"
Ia the considerable amount Of talk
concerning the Maryland suffrage
amendment, Mr.. Stone. Mr.. Bone
parte and the other Repub lican lead
ers Indicate, as their principal OBJ
lection to II. that it viii. according
TO them, make Maryland one. party
State. Indeed. II may be said this
is almost the only reasonable objec-
| tion urged by them, for the others
are mentioned as of merely second
! airy importance Is this not hui
initiating confession for the Repub.
| lican party Of Maryland2 Is IL not
| complete acknowledgment Of Its
absolute dependence on the ignOr-
ant negro vote and its dnwillingness
TO stake It's fortune on appeal 10 she
sentiment OF the intelligence and
substance of the State?
/ Now gentlemen cry out In alarm
over the anticipation of one party
State as II IL was something new.
There are now aud have been for
long years many one party States,
some Of them the largest In the
Union. All the New England
States. Pennsylvania, Iowa, Michi-
/ gan and numerous others are one
party States. But they elect Re-
pubIicans for office, which makes IL
all right. However, one party pre-
dominance would not be a novelty
/ la Maryland. From 1854 to 1860
Baltimore was q one-party city.
The affiliated rufiian clubs Of Know
Nothingism, with the pistol and the
dagger, took entire charge OF the
elactions and put in Office whomever
they pleased. They needed no con-
stituti0nal amendments, no forms OF
law, for DISTINGUISHING thousands
upon thousands of1whise men. No
doubt II these worthy gentlemen
were alive today they would lift up
their voices and weep with Mr..
Stone over the proposed peaceful
and lawful disfranchisemen Of the
negro. They we're the political an
cestors OF Mr.. Bonaparte and Mr..
Stone. Maryland was q one party
State from 1861 TO 1867. The politi-
cal friends Of Mr. Stone. through
demonstrations test oaths and
Federal bayonets, DISTINGUISHED the
body OF the flower Of the white man
hood Of Maryland. In one Of those
years the entire city government Of
Baltimore was put into Office by vot-
ers aggregating scarcely one tenth
of those legally qualified TO exer-
else the elective franchise. What
did the Republican party leaders OF
Baltimore and Maryland do In 1867.
when large majority OF the voters
OF the State who had been so long
deprived Of their rights were about
to come into their own2 They rush
ed down here TO Washington and
besought General Grant, then In
command Of the army, and the Re.
publican leaders la the Senate and
the House, to give back TO them the
bayonet, so that they-one fourth Of
the voters -could ones more put
their feet upon tie necks Of their
fellow citizens who we're three
fourths. To the credit OF those In
authority here az that time, they
met with cold comfort. They were
told TO 20 home and fight their poll
tical opponents With constitutional
and legal methods. They bad no
resource but 10 follow this advice.
What was tho RESULT With no
bayonets and 20 test oaths to impede
their progress, the magnificent white
electorate Of Maryland marched TO
the polls and rolled up q majority Of
forty thousand. It does not seem
so very unlikely they may do IL
again.
Mr. Stone appears 10 be profuse
Ia bis threats Of what the Republic
cans Of Maryland are going TO do IN
case Of the adoption Of the suffrage
amendment. They can no longer
come TO Washington and plead for
nayonets. SO they viii look for puni-
tive Legislation TO Congress and for
the annulment Of the amendment to
the United States courts. This Is
all bluff They will get 10 punitive
Legislation from Congress. and they
will get no annulment from the
courts. Just so sure as the sun
shines, should the people OF Mary
land adopt the suffrage amendment
IL will stand. Mr.. Stone will got
the same practical advice from here
that his friends got 10 1867. Give
up depending upon the political
slaves now forming the backbone Of
the Republican party 10 Maryland
and fight white men with white men
for the approval Of an intelligent
electorate. This Is sound counsel,
and to take II would be noble am
bition. What say you, Mr.. Stone2
WaahinUton Nav p r. n