Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-03
BOLDEST YET ADVANCED
Details Made Known by Former
State Senator Brewington.
DISCUSSED BY THE LEADERS
As State Did Not Ratify Fifteenth
Amendment. It Is Claimed That
Restriction Is Not Binding
on It's People.
special Dispatch 10 The Star.

special IbsDacH 10 nS Sidi.
BALTIMORE. Nd, February 3-The
boldest scheme that has yet been ad-
vanced by the democratic party to grab
an election in Maryland was made known
today by former State Senat tor Marion V.
Brewington of Wicomico county, who is
working in the interest of another dis
franchising amendment.
The new scheme is nothing less than
to take over the election two years
hence. at which a governor will be
named. in addition 10 dozen or more
important state offices. by refusing to
register any negro vote in any part of
the state. in direct defiance of the fif-
teenth amendment to the Constitution of
the United States.
The plan made known by Senator Brew
ington is said to be without doubt the
boldest of all of those the democratic
party has yet considered and. although
Senator Brewington admits that the lead
ers have not yet come around to his way
Of thinking it is not at all unlikely that
it will be adopted.
The first move in this gigantic scheme
is to postpone the general registration
of voters, which the law requires shall
take place this year, until October of
1911. That will mean only month be-
fore the election, and too late for the
republican managers to take the matter
to the court of appeals. Then, If it is
taken after the election, it will be too
late, for the grab will have been made
and there will be no possible way of rec
tifyins great wrong.
Supreme Court to Decide.
In outlining his plan in detail former
Senator Brewington showed that the
right Of the negro to vote in Maryland
under the fifteenth amendment will be
put squarely up TO the Supreme Court
Of the United States, and he believes
that it will be decided in favor of this
state, in view of the fact that Maryland
never ratified the amendment.
The Supreme Court, according to Sen
ator Brewington. mas always sidestepped
that question, and he believes that il is
just waiting for an opportunity TO decide
that negroes have not the right of suf-
frage in those states which never ratified
the amendment. # that is done, every
state south of the Mason and Dixon
line will be forever rid of the negro
vote, a thing which the democratic man.
ayers in Maryland have been trying to
bring about for years.
The great stroke will be to poStp
the general registration, declared Sen
ator Brewington today. If that regis
tration takes place in October, 1911, and
II CtH De accomplished III three "echS
we will then have the state in our own
hands. III the democratic managers will
adopt any suggestion We will then refuse
to register any negro voter in any part
of the state
THE election will then therefore be
conducted without a negro vote, and il
the republicans take the matter TO the
court of appeals and the election is de-
clared void will still be the winner.
The court of appeals cannot order a new
election, and as we control the state
senate, it will name the governor by rea-
son of the election being declared void
by the court of appeals, and the senate
and house of delegates have the author
ity to say who shall sit in those bodies.
The republicans will have to take the
question of our refusing to register ne
groes to the Supreme Court. if they do
not win in the court of appeals, and if
they do then we will have to take it
there, il will be bound to be put
squarely up r that court, as every south
ern state desires should be done.
Expects Favorable Decision.
IF the question is put squarely up to
the Supreme Court l nave every reason
to believe that fl will decide that those
states which did not ratify the fifteenth
amendment have right 10 refuse every
negro vote. This is a white mans state.
and in this matter The other white people
Of the state vii! stand shoulder to Shoul-
der with the democrats.
"A decision from the Supreme Court of
the United States such as ] have sug-
gested will be received with joy in every
state south of Mason and Dixons line and
will forever rid those states Of the negro
vote.
The great trouble tight here in Mary
land is that the democratic leaders lack
the nerve to take hold OF a thing of this
kind and push it along, but l have great
hopes that it will be done. 1t is the
only thing that the party can do. for this
question has got to be brought to an issue
sooner or later, and the sooner the bet
ter
The boldness Of former Senator Brew
ington's scheme almost took the demo-
cratic leaders off their feet when it was
suggested to them by him. But now, it is
said, they are becoming reconciled to il
and are looking upon it more favorably.
Senator Brewington declared today that
he wished he was back of this legislature
for one day, that there would then be
no question of what the democrats would