The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-04-05
BEARD TALKS
On maryland
LEGISLATURE
HAS RETURNED FROM BALTI-
MORE AND SAYS HE BELIEVES
SUPREME COURT WILL HOLD
THE FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT
INVALID.

The Maryland legislature has taken
action to test the validity of the fif-
teenth amendment to the constitution
of the United States which Hon. Jno. S.
Beard tried in the Florida sessions OF
1907 and 1909 to get the Florida legis-
lature to take. 1t will be recalled that
at both sessions of the legislature Mr..
Beard introduced joint resolution
proposing an amendment to the con-
Stitution of the state of Florida, limit
ing the elective franchise to white
adult males. This resolution passed
the senate, of which body Mr.. Beard
was a member at both sessions by the
requisite three-fifths majority, but was
defeated in both instances by the
house. Mr. Boards speeches in the
senate, at both sessions, in advocacy
Of the passage of these resolutions
were published in pamphlet form, by
order of the senate, and these speeches.
have been in great demand through
out the country, and Mr.. Beard has
been in correspondence with some OF
the best known and most prominent
lawyers of other states upon the ques-
ton of the invalidity of the fifteenth
amendment. Among these lawyers
are w. /. Marbury and A. w. Machen.
Jr, of Baltimore.
Mr.. Beard was in Baltimore last
week while this question was pending
before the Maryland legislature, and
two-column interview with him upon
the invalidity of this amendment to
the United States constitution was
published in the Baltimore Sun.
Error in Report.
Yesterday Mr.. Beard was seen by
Journal representative and said tnat
the Associated Press report of the ac-
ton of the Maryland legislature IS
mistake in SO far Is it stated that the
Acknowledgement only applies to state
elections, and not to congressional;
but that the action OF the Maryland
legislature applies to all elections,
state and federal. He further SAID
that the Maryland constitution has not
been amended since the war, and still
retains the word white" as descrlp-
tive of the voter but since 1869, When
the fifteenth amendment to the constl-
tuition of the United States was adopt
ed the registration and election laws
of Maryland have been in compliance
with the provisions of the hfteentn
amendment to the federal constitution.
1.-THE legislature of Maryland" said
Mr.. Beard, the other day repealed
those registration and election laws
and enacted registration and election
laws so as to restrict the elective fran
chise to the white male adults, in COM
pliance with the Maryland constltu-
ton: and of course they conflict with
the provisions of the fifteenth amend
ment.
THE Florida constitution does not
contain the word white as descriptive
of the voter, and my efforts in 1907
and 1909 were to so amend the state
constitution as to insert the word
| white as descriptive of the voter. OF
course the validity or invalidity of the
so-called fifteenth amendment to the
constitution of the United States will
be finally determined by the supreme
court of the United States, and Mary
land has put the question in such
shape as to make a test case. That
the so-called fifteenth amendment to