The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1909-05-07
DECLARATION ON SUFFRAGE.
Resolutions Declaring Amendment
The Vital Issue.

HG VlldH lSSuGs
The resolutions adopted by the Demo
cratic State Central Committee last week.
set forth that it was 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 suffrage to white men
and tornegroes of industry and sobriety.
The resolutions continue:
"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 membersh r, 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 a political factor
in dominating its people and its destinies.
i n6L al unICSLIlCkCd anu uuIVGISdI
suffrage in the hands of thousands of
illiterate. unrefiecting and nontaxpaying
negroes in this State, blindly and solidly
messed in one political party, is menace
to the well-being and progress OF Mary
land and constitutes an evil and danger
from which it is the duty of her sober
n,,d x,otr;of;o ,Df,ifa ,,aoola ~ raeora tia;r
State; that only by restricting the elective
franchise now universally in the posses
sion of the class of negroes aforesaid with
in this State, will they cease to be po-
litical factor within its borders, and the
State be relieved from the evil which it
has borne too long
"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
the suffrage; is wholly free from all posi-
bility of abuse in its administration, if
adopted by the people; secures the right
to vote to every person. including both
our native and foreign, born citizens, and
their descendants, ard the fullest pro-
lection by easy and inexpensive means of
all the courts of Maryland from the
lowest to the highest, and, in fine, guaran-
tees securely and undeniably to all our
citizens, except the illiterate unthinking,
nontaxpaying and one party negroes, as
absolute and indefensible right to vote
as is possible for any statute framed by
human minds to guarantee.
That it is the sense of this COMMITTEES
that the main and vital issue of the APP
preaching election in Maryland is the
adoption of the suffrage amendment be-
cause, if il is adopted, it will eliminate
the undesirable negroes referred to from
the electorate OF the State, and put an
end to their regime and power as potent
political factor in our midst, thereby in
surfing the clear, undisputed sway of the
white people of Maryland; while if, on
the other hand, the proposed amendment
{ is defeated, its defeat will be accepted
and hailed by the large masses of negroes
in question as a declaration upon the part
of the people of Maryland that it is their
intention and will that these negroes shall
be political power in the State, not only
encouraging those who are here to re-
doubled energy and activity in our poll
tics aud government, but attracting fresh
accessions within our boundaries, so that
Maryland will be the only community in
the whole world where this interior and
incapable class of people has real poll
tical power and a firm bold upon the
government.