The Baltimore County union, the Towson news., 1909-10-02
COL. McINTosH's BAD CASE.

Col David G. Mcintosh of Towson is one of
the leading lawyers Of Maryland. Like all
other lawyers, he sometimes has bad case,
and on bad case the most gifted lawyer is to
be excused for making poor argument. Col
one Mcintosh has undertaken to argue the
cause Of the disfranchising amendment, being
one of the very, very few Democrats Of anti
ring proclivities in Maryland who have had
the nerve to attempt to say anything in favor
of that obnoxious measure. His argument
was printed in the county Democratic organ
on last Saturday and was reprintedin in the State
Democratic organ on Sunday.
In his preamble. Colonel Mcintosh says that
s'anyone who has deliberately made up his
mind that absolute and unrestricted suffrage is
for the good Of heState = is not open
to argument" Reversely, then, one who has
made up his mind that restricted suffrage is
good is not open to argument. but maybe the
Colonel is in error, and we shall proceed to
argue little. just as he did, in the hope Of
doing some good.
Every candid and rejecting man" says the
Colonel lis compelled to admit that under our
form of government the exercise of sover-
eignty-that is, the voting power-by those
who are wholly ignorant and illiterate is liable
to the gravest abuse and is source of danger
and weakness to the State. Its evils have be-
come transparent without reference to the
color line" And having said this Colonel
Mcintosh proceeds to state that he is in favor
of an amendment that is openly, plainly. con
fessedly and notoriously designed to eliminate
only negro voters, without reference to their
intelligence or virtue, and to retain the fran
chise to all white voters, no matter how litter
ate or depraved they may be. Inconsistent
Colonel Mcintosh Some restriction is desir-
able, say the advocates of the amendment but
when they begin to particularize they are
found to be in favor of drawing the line at the
restriction of the negro
Col. Mcintosh asks:
Should a man who honestly thinks unre-
stricted suffrage an evil when an opportunity
is presented to get rid of it. as far as possible
allow himself to be diverted from the purpose,
by any mere personal objection to some Of the.
people connected with t, or because it is not
presented in exact conformity with his views,
or because, perhaps, the educational test may
be thought too difficult, or the property quail
ication too high2
Anu, JUST previously, ne says.
What is the duty of good citizen2 Should
he decline to assist In bringing about the end
which he admits to be desirable because he
thinks the measure is being engineered by
selfish meE for political purposes2
Should be allow the qualification of bis
personal feelings to outweigh all other con-
siderations?
Because of the known integrity of Colonel
Mcintosh. we put to him the following hypo-
thetical question with absolute confidence that
bis answer will be in favor of our side of the
argument; Suppose that in close proximity
to his property there were an unsghtly build
ing, valuable and necessary to its owner, but
an eyesore to the Colonel and all his neighbors
of artistic tastes. Now, suppose Colonel McIn-
tosh, law-abiding citizen, expounder Of the
law. saw gang of miscreants destroying this
Objectionable building It is desirable for him
and his cultivated neighbors to get rid of the
eyesore; shall he objec. to such proceeding
because of the character of the men connected
with the outrage and the unlawful manner in
which they are going about it, or shall he go
over and help them because he thinks the old
house is a nuisance? Does he think the good
to be accomplished, although that good is from
one standpoint alone-from the standpoint of
a select class-is sufficient to warrant good citi-
zens in winking at 1agrant breach of the
law7
Further on, Colonel Mcintosh disparages the
cry that it is not right to take away any mans
vote, because he says the right to vote is not
absolute but is only granted by the State, and,
being granted may be taken away. But is it
fos- - n. -,
taken away because man is depraved be-
cause he is a thief, drunkard, vote seller or
q fool. but only because of bis color2 No
matter if his heart is black if his skin is
white
But one of the most astonishing statements
made by Colonel Mcintosh is that "the fifth
and sixth requirements as to educational re-
quirements under the proposed law to entitle
a man to vote are applicable to black and white
alike" This is certainly disingenuous, for
Colonel Mcintosh well knows that the act has
been so framed as to relieve all but very few
white men from the educational test.
Colonel Mcintosh is lawyer and good one,
but we are willing to make with him the same
wager that we recently offered to make with
the editor of the Baltimore Sun, which, by
the way, still stands unaccepted, and that is to
bet the price of a years subscription in
turnips that be himself can not pass the ex-
animation prescribed for those who can not
qualify as voters because of birth or wealth.
This is good wager. for the drought has
made turnips scarce this year. But perhaps
the Colonel will decline, remembering his first
experience with the Australian ballot. when it
is alleged be spoiled several of the papers and
was compelled to ask for assistance in marking
his ballot correctly. In 1905, when a similar
amendment to the one now pending was be-
fore the people for ratification or rejection,
Colonel Mcintosh was frank enough to say
Il am not sure, but might be disqualified
myself under this clause (the educational test,
and it is not impossible for the Judges of the
Court of Appeals to be disqualified to vote, if
The registration officers so mind"
W-DONT FORGET IT Next Tuesday |
will be the last day to register this year.