Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1909-02-19
AMENDMENT ALL RIGHT.


leo county. is heartily in favor of the
proposed suffrage amendment to the Con
stitution of Maryland. While in Baltimore
one day last week, he said;
THE people of my county, and should
think of the counties generally, are vitality
interested in securing the passage Of this
amendment, because it means so much to
those counties and sections of the State
which have a large percentage of negro
voters. My county was among the lew
that gave majority for the Poe amend
ment, which was defeated in the State by
the fear that its provisions might disfran-
chise few white people among the foreign
element of our citizenship. No such fear
should exist as to the present amendment,
and we have the highest authority to prove
the claim that no white man will be dis
| franchised by its passage, which should
commend it to the favorable consideration
of every white man in the State.
THE President-elect, Mr.. Taft, states
plainly in a letter to Mr.. Stone that the
only persons to be disfranchised by its
provisions are negroes. Cardinal Gibbons
in an interview, although admitting he has
never read it. states his opposition to it on
| the ground that only negroes will be dis
| franchised under it. Mr.. Bonaparte, who
| never gives forth public utterance in the
State without calling the great mass OF
Democrats all sorts of ugly names, has said
| that he objects to it because il will dis
| franchise negroes. and comedies that no
| white man will lose his vote under it. In
fact, all the leading lights in the Republic
can party of the State concede the same
thing If this is true, and the white peo-
pie of the State believe it. this amend
ment should carry by large majority and
believe it will.
THE chief point of attack by those who
oppose it is the grandfather cause or the
principle of hereditary voting. Is there
| anything remarkable for the State to pre-
serve, without test, the right to vote to the
sons of those who fought to establish this
Government, and who even though un-
learned in books, have inherited instincts
| of true government viii anyone contend
that the grandsons of our white forefathers
are not better qualified to exercise the right
of suffrage than the descendants of race
that has never had the responsibilities of
government and has no instincts but to
serve? There is one thing that should not
be forgotten, and that is this, that the
right to vote is not inherent but right
conferred by the State. God has never
created a voter, only the State creates
them Is it to be denied then, that the
State has the right to say what restric-
| tons shall be placed upon this privilege,
the exercise of which can make or mar
her prosperity and progress Both parties
believe in hereditary voting. The Demo-
cratic party believes in the kind | have
mentioned, which is composed of the great
rank and file of the white people. The
Republican 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 to him. his
children and children's children the right
to remain and vote the Republican ticket
forever
THE Democratic party, which has pro-
posed this amendment, is composed of the
majority of the white intelligence of the
State and believes that the best interests
of the State will be served by its passage. |
Under its provisions 1t is likely that q large
class of ignorant and worthless negro v0- |
tiers will be DISTINGUISHED, 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 prosperous. intelligent
native negroes will be able to register and
vote. and believe that any unprejudiced
mind must admit that the migratory, va
grant, criminal negro, with no conception Of
government, who will not be able to register
and vote, ought not TO have a voice in
the government of TINY State.
when one hears the wall that is now
going up in this State by the opponents of
this measure that the wicked Democratic
party would disfranchise a large class Of
voters, one would think it was the only
party that had ever undertaken to disfran-
chise anybc-in he history Of the Repub-
lican partS4y3 one u disfranchisemen from
the begiES4 'ng, the difference being that
the Democrats have by constitutional and
lawful methods undertaken 20 disfranchise
few of the worst element of an inferior
race, while the Republicans have tried,
regret to say, sometimes succeeded, in dis
franchsing the flower of our white Ameri-
can manhood. without even the warrant
Of law.
Zone of the arguments frequently used
against the adoption of this amendment is
that it would make Maryl2nd "A one-party
State. do not believe THIS is true. and
| believe If this amendment should be
adopted there would be an increase in in
dependent voting, and the fear that now
keeps large class of our voters from ever
voting Republican ticket Oh account Of
the negro would disappear
For the sake of argument, cOncede that
it would make "a One-party State. II
would be the party that is controlled by
twO-thirds of the wealth and white intel
ligence of the State, and it is safe to say
that the State would be perfectly safe in
their hands, especially so with the added
increase in Independent voting. lean con-
ceive of far worse things happening than
that the great Democratic party should
control in the State. | want to say fur
ther that Maryland is fast tending toward
"a one-party State on account of the ne
gro, and that party, the party that has for
with one IkNfe chance to change our cleo
ton lawSHaI. let the bars down to $20,-
900 more negroes who will gladly flock in
to our State and to the registration offices,
we viii have "a one-party State for good
and ALL and we will 90 back and hack in
the scale of progress and have conditions
far worse than we had in 1893 when they
were in complete control in this State and
God knows that was bad enough.
This question is so serious as to call
forth the efforts and sympathy Of every
white man in Maryland and should induce
them to rise up as one man, regardless of
party, and settle forever this blight that is
fastening itself on the politics Of our be-
| loved State, and, notwithstanding the ad-
verse criticism and opposition of our OPP
ponents and of outside interference. we
propose to explain the provisions Of this
righteous measure in every corner of this
State and make winning fight for its
| adoption at the polls.