The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1909-10-07
ORGAN
OF MARYLAND DEMOCRACY is
INCONSISTENT.
Cites Regular" Democrats as Exam
pies for all Others While Condemn
ing Negroes Allegiance to Repub.
Iicans.
(By Horace D. Slater J.

! inconsistency characteristic Of ar
organs support Of an unworthy anc
unr1ghteous cause the Baltimore Sur
puDllshes In one column one Of g
/ series OF specially written articles
Isupportig it's position in favor Of the
d1sfranchisement amendment of the
state constitution in which the Ne
gro vote is roundly condemned fol-
It's regularity and solid support OF
! the Republican party; while in an
other column while calling for the
reorganization of the Democratic
party on a national basis, lays down
as the criterion for good Democracy
the examples of Democrats who have
( never bolted.
I'VE must have a white mans
government, based upon a white
mans vote" Is but one Of it's clarion
calls to victory based upon class and
race hatred. With reference to the
Negro, whom it proposes to place at
shameful disadvantage by means
or the so-called grandfather clause
the Sun says .-.-...-...------.
J. mo matter what the consequence
20 the state, this large ignorant. I'M
rejecting vote, without thought, in
terest, responsibility, or the slight
est pause, throws itself always one
way en- masse at the polls. It Is
wholly an automatic and mechanic
al vote: 1t is never moved by intel
41gence nor discrimination. They
(the Negroes) vote for good or bad
candidates, good or bad measures,
Just SO they are candidates or meas
ures Of the party to which these un-
fortunate beings belong as chattel
slaves. This is not the work OF ra-
t1onal citizens, or indeed Of rational
human beings. 1t is not voting at
all. 1T Is not exercise Of the elective
franchise, because there is no choice,
no selection, no discrimination or
Judgement as TO- any matter present
'fftaau a 90 elsetlon by the citizens OF
the polls. Every other element of
lour electorate, every element Of
white population divides its voting
strength at the polls. But the ilIit-
crate voters as a mass, never divide
at all. They make no distinction be-
tween wisdom and folly, between
progress and retrogression In the
states, their vote being the same
today as it was yesterday and as it
Will be tomorrow"
This remarkable document is
signed by Isaac Lobe Straus, Attor-
ney General Of the state Of Mary
land, to whom is credited the pater-
nifty Of the amendment. In line
with these sentiments the Sun edi-
torially animadverts as follows:
Perhaps this will be the last 3D.
portunjty to rid the electorate of
maryland Of some 10000 illiterate
and shiftless voters-the last oppor-
tunlty, perhaps, for relieving the
southern and historic part Of the
state, the cradle of so large a proper
zion OF It's best citizenship, Of the
bnght OF Negro domination, which
has weighed the people down in the
race OF progress and has caused a
great host Of the very flower of their
young men to abandon their old
homes where their fathers lived. to
go to some white community where
their would be no sense Of humilia-
ton on election day.
If the amendment Is defeated this
time the Democratic party will con-
tinue to CONTROL the state govern
ment. There Is no danger that it will
lose the state as long as the police
force Of Baltimore city and thepub-
lie school system are at stake, or as
long as the race issue lasts. If the
amendment is defeated the southern
counties will lose hope Of appeal to
their brethren in the city and the
! white counties. Therefore, this
amendment should not be lightly re.
1ected because Of misunderstanding
or Of trivial and il1.founded object
! ions.
! We have seen in the previous ar
ticles that If the pending amendment
q 1s ratified citizens will register tc
vote under one or the other of the
six classes Of qualification, as fol.
lows
First-All will be entitled to vote
who were entitled to vote In some
state Of the Union on or prior tt
January /, 1859.
! Second-The male defendants O.
such persons.
Thtrd'-Foreign-born citizens 0
the United States who were natural
lied between the first day of Jan
uary, 1869, and the ratification O
the Amendment.
Fourth--The male defendants o
such naturalized persons.
Fffth-Persons who can make ap
DJt"ation for registration in writin;
'and answer few questions set fortl
plainly In the amendment, which an,
person OF ordinary intelligence ca,
answer after little study and in
quiry,
Stxth-.- popaono x,In o,,, -. -. -.