The Democratic advocate., 1909-02-12
ALL RIGHT
STRONGLY URGED BY STATE SENATOR
PRICE, or WICOMICO COUNTY
Under Its Provisions No White Man
VIII Be Deprived Of His Vote

WtcOnieo county, is heartily in favor
of the proposed suffrage amendment
20 the constitution OF Maryland. While
In Baltimore one day last week. he
said
"The people Of my county, and
should think of the counties generally,
are vitally interested In securing the
passage OF this amendment, because
II means 80 much 10 those counties
and sections Of the State which have
a large percentage of negro voters.
My county was among the few that
gave a majority for the Poe amend
ment. which was defeated IN the State
BY the fear that its provisions might
disfranchise q few white people among
the foreign element Of our citizenship.
No such fear should exist az 10 the
present amendments, and We have the
highest authority TO prove the claim
that no white man VIII b. disfranchis-
ed by ita passage, which should com
mend II 90 the favorable consideration
10 every white man III The state.
''The PreHident-eiaet, Mr. Taft. states
plainly In letter tn Mr. Stone that
the only persons to be dlafranchised
by It's provisions are negroes. Cardinal
Gibbons Ia an interview, although adj
mittinR he has never read II. states
his opposition TO II on she
ground that only negroes viii be dis
franchlsed under a. Mr. Bona
parte, who never gives forth public
titterance In the State without calling
the great macs Of Democrats all sorts
Of ugly names. haa said that he objects
10 II because 1t viii dlsfranchise
negroes. and comedies that no white
man viii lose bis vote under H. In
fact. al the leading lights in the Re
publican party of the State concede
the same thing. II this is true, and
the white people Of the State believe
II. this amendment should carry BY A.
large majority and ! believe Il will
The chief point of attack By those
who oppose IL ia thG grandfather
clause" or the prsnciple Of 'hercdl.
taTy voting ls there anything re-
markable for ,ss state 70 preserve,
without iest, The Tighi To vote 10 the
sons Of those who fought TO establish
this Government. and who. even
though uniearnad I'm lJooks have in.
herited Instincts Of true government
VIII anyone conieud that the grand
aoBs of our white FUretatheFs arc not
bstteF qualified 10 exercise tho right
OF suffrage Than the descendants Of 4
race that has never had tho responsi-
hiliiieH ~ government and has
no Instincts but 10 serve There IL
one thing that should not be forgotten,
and that In this. that the right TO vote
In not inherent, but a right conferred
by the State. God has never created
voter, only the State creates them
IL II Ia be denied then, that the State
hasn't the right 10 say what reMssic.
lions shall be placed upon this priv
ileKs, the exercise of which can make
Or mar her prosperity and progress
Both parties believe In hereditary
voting. The Democratic party be-
lieyes In the kind I have mentioned,
which Is composed of the great rank
and flie Of the white people The Re
publican party believes In hereditary
voting also. but In that kind which
permits an ignorant negro tramp to
come into our State and Immediately
have voice In our affairs and would
guarantee ia him. bis children and
ehildreu's children the right TO re-
main and vote the Republican ticket
forever.
The Democratic party, which has
proposed this amendment, ia composed
OF the majority OF the white inteiii-
Renee OF the State and believes that
the best interests Of the State will be
served by its passage. Under It's pro-
visions II IL likely that n large class
OF ignorant and worthless negro voters
VIII be disfranchlHed. and we take the
position that the best interests Of the
State demand that they should be
Under the educational and property
clauses of the amendment the prnaper-
GUS, Intelligent, native negroes will be
able to register and vote. and | be-
lieye that any unpreiudieed mind must
admit that the migratory, yngranf.
criminal negro. with no conception of
who Will not be- able TO
register and vote. ought not 10 have
voice In the government OF this State. !
When one hears the wall that Ia
now going M In this State by the OPP
poneTits OF this measure that the
wicked Democratic party would dIa- !
franchise O large class Of voters, one
would think II was the only party that
had ever undertaken to disfranchise
anybody The history OF tho Repub
lican party is one OF iisfranchisement
from the beginning, the difference be-
ing that the Democrats have by con-
stitutlonal and lawful methods undepf
taken to disfranehlse a few of Nc
worst element Of an inferior rAee, I
while the Republicans have tried, And,
| regret 10 say, sometimes succeeded.
In DISTINGUISHING the flower OF our
white American manhood, without
even the warrant OF law
One OF the arguments frequently
used against the adoption of this
amendment is that II would make
Maryland "a one-party State | do
not believe this Is true, and | believe
II this amendment should be adopted
there would be an increase In inde-
pendent voting, and the fear that now
keeps a large class of our voters from
ever voting Republican ticket on
account OF the negro would disappear. /
For the sake of argument, concede
that It would make II q ne-party |
State. II would be the party that is
by two-thirds of the wealth |
and white intelligence OF the State, !
and II Is safe TO say that the State |
would be perfectly safe In their hands, /
so with the added increase
In independent voting. can con-
ceive of far worse things happening
than that the great Democratic party
should control In the State. want |
TO say further that Maryland Is fast
tending toward a one-party State on
account Of the negro.and that party, the |
party that has for It's chief asset $4,000 |
negro voters and with one more chance
TO change our election laws and let
the bars down TO 10000 more negroes
who will gladly flock into our State