Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1909-05-07
DECLARATION ON SUFFRAGE.
Resolutions Declaring Anne ndment
the Vital Issue.

The resolutions adopted by the Demo-
traffic State Central Committee on Wednes-
day of last week set forth that it was a
great mistake to grant universal suffrage
| to the negroes of the South at the close of
| the Civil War; that the participation of
the negro in politics more than any other
| thing brings him into conflict with the
white man that the curse of the negro of
the present generation is his tendency to
crime; that the main purpose of the
| amendment is to confine the right of suf-
frage to white men and to negroes of in
dustry and sobriety The resolutions con-
tinue:
That the interests of the State of Mary
land require that its large illiterate negro
population, composing fully one-half and
upward of the entire membership of one
of the two political parties in this State
which are constantly striving to control
the government and administration of the
State. shall cease to be political factor in
dominating its people and its destinies.
THAT an unrestricted and universal suf-
frage, in the hands of thousands of litter
ate. unrehecting and nOn-taxpaying ne
groes in this State, blindly and sOlidly
massed in one political party, is menace
to the well-being and progress of Maryland
and constitutes an evil and danger from
which it is the duty of her sober and pat
riotic white people to rescue their State !;
that only by restricting the elective fran
chise now universally in the possession of
the class of negroes aforesaid within this
State, will they cease to be political fac
tor within its borders, and the State be
relieved from the evil which it has borne
too long.
THAT the proposed suffrage amendment
to the Constitution. prepared by confer
ence of eminent and public-spirited Mary
land lawyers assembled in December. 1907.
by the Attorney-G General of the State. and
adopted and promulgated for the action of
the people by the General Assembly of
1908 and by the Governor, be and is here
by fully approved, Endorsed and recon-
mended to the people by this committee.
That the proposed amendment safe
guards and secures the right of every
white citizen to vote. especially and amply
protecting our large and esteemed foreign
born population in their right to suffrage
is wholly free from all possibility of abuse
in its administration. If adopted by the
people; secures the right to vote to every
person, including both our native and for
eign-born citizens, and their descendants,
and the fullest protection by easy and in
expensive means of all the courts Of Mary
land from the lowest to the highest, and
i'm fine, guarantees securely and undenia-
bly, to all our citizens, except the illiterate,
unthinking, non-taxpaying and one-party
negroes, as absolute and indefeasible a
right to vote as it is possible for any statute
framed by human mind to guarantee.
THAT it is the sense of this committee
that it is the duty of the white voters in
IsI 49, ha x.1hara tho
population, as compared with the white
population, is limited in numbers to delib-
erately consider the situation of our white
people in those parts Of the State where
| the negro population is fully equal to OF
greater in number than the white pOpula-
ton. or where the negro population is nu-
merous and considerable and to do all In
their power to relieve the white people in
| the portions of the State last referred t.
from the evils of the situation by climina-
| ting from the electorate the negro voters
| referred to.
THAT il is the sense of this committee
that the main and vital issue of the APP
preaching election in Maryland is the adop-
ton of the suffrage amendment because
If il is adopted, it will eliminate the unde.
sirable negroes referred to from the cleo.
tOrate of the State. and put an end tC
their regime and power as a potent politi-
cal factor in our midst, thereby insurinf
the clear, undisputed sway of the white
people of Maryland while IT, on the other
hand. the proposed amendment is defeat
ed. its defeat will be accepted and hailet
by the large masses of negroes in ques
ton as a declaration upon the part of the
people of Maryland that 1t is their inten
ton and will that these negroes shall be G
1 s., Al CNaNs
| couraging those who are here to redoubleC
energy and activity in our politics anC
government, but attracting fresh accessons
within our boundaries, so that Maryland
will be the only community in the whole
world where this inferior and incapable
class of people has real political power
and firm hold upon the government.
THAT it supreme duty OF every Demo
crat in Maryland to exert his whole energy
to secure by every lawful means the adop
ton of the proposed amendment at the
| next General election, and that this com
mittee further appeals to all thoughtful
and independent white citizens, regardless;
of party affiliations, from one end Of the
State to the other to secure for Maryland
the absolute, complete and enduring SUI
premacy of the white race who nhabit il
and who alone can rule II periodically and
well, and so hand ii down to posterity.
THAT all Democrats in Maryland shall
unite and organize for the paramount end
of securing the substantial elimination Of
the negro vote. and establishing finally tn,
supremacy of our white people and thai
these resolutions are unanimously adopted
and shall be presented to the chairman Of
the next Democratic State Convention. t.
be read as part Of its proceedings and fOI
| ne Ito hnnHu IL haan
appropriate.