The Washington herald., 1910-04-05

nullify the tariff laws and glorifed In
right per Sc and free trade was right in
the interest of slavery-the question OF
slavery being inseparable from politics ii
could not possibly be divorced.
The Republican party is confronted
with similar situation to-day In deal
ing with the wholesale Acknowledgement
OF citizens of the United States by the
Southern States. Thousands OF white
people and millions of negroes are a unit
in their denunciation of the Southern
States for enaeting and enforcing uncon-
stitutional election laws These laws can
not be divorced from politics any more
than slavery could be. The extension of
these laws from State to State viii in
evitably result as the attempt Of the pro-
slavery promoters to extend slavery into
new States and newly acquired territory.
The continuous passage and enforcement
of these unconstitutional measures viii
In all probability produce the same ef-
feet as the repeal of the Missouri com
promise. The breach between the Re-
publican and the Democratic parties will
become wider and wider, until the Re-
publican party Will be compelled, If for
no other reason than its self-preserva-
ton, to oppose the wholesale disfran-
chisement Of Republican. voters. Then
the controversy of national sovereignty
will be reopened. and Raynerism, Cor
manism. Tillmanism, and Vardamanism,
which maintain that Acknowledgement is
right per sc. will fail. as did Calhounism.
which maintained that slavery was right
per sc and free trade was right in the
interest Of slavery.
For the protection of the Federal gov
eminent from the probable eneroachment
of the laws of the States, the Congress
has enacted a system Of uniform laws,
in compliance with the express powers
conferred by the Constitution. for the
preservation OF the interests OF the ma
ton. which are subordinate TO the free
dom and purity OF the ballot, and the
electorate of the people in a government
OF, for. and by the people, founded upon
the consent of the governed theory as
declared in the American bill of rights,
the Declaration Of independence.
We have uniform commerce, postal.
revenue. naturalization. copyright. patA
ent. coinage. bankruptcy. military and
naval and admiralty and maritime laws;
uniform standards Of weights and meas
ures: uniform duties, imposts. and ex-
cises. Then why not have a uniform
election law?
In conclusion. the scheme in Maryland
is simply to perpetuate the power Of the
Crothers-Gornan Democratic machine TO
the exclusion of all others, be they
Democrats or Republicans. native-born or
foreign born, white or black So far as
the Acknowledgement of the negro is con-
cerned, il is safer both for the nation
and the State TO entrust an ignorant and
illiterate man with the ballot. when he
will cast his vote in obedience to intelli-
gent instructions, for protection. sound
money. prosperity, law. and order. than
It is to entrust an intelligent and Iiterate
man with we ballot when he VIII cast
his vote for partisan purposes, for free
trade. free silver, poverty, unlaw. and
disorder
1T is safer to be ignorant and illiterate
and follow the right than It is to be in
telligent and literate and follow the
wrong H. A. CLARKE