Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1922-07-15
The Amendments
Should Be Defeated
Baltimore. July l3th. l922.

The most important issues here in
Maryland, TO be voted upon in the
November election, are, "shall the
whole system and practice of cleo
tons be changed. and shall Baltimore
City be allotted large increase in
thu number of Representatives and
Senators in the General Assembly"
These two questions involve matters
of vastly greater importance to the
people Of the State than the election
Of Senator or Member of the House
of Representatives They bear upon
the well-being Of everybody in Mary
land, while il makes very little differ
ence to most people who may repre-
sent Il, m in the two houses of Con-
gress at Washington.
And in all the discussions OF the
campaign it will be well not to forget
these very important and vital mat
tiers. All sorts Of side issues will be
brought forward to obscure them.
The people who favor these changes
in the State Constitution, have much
at stake in the result Their desire is
TO gain control Of the General Assem-
bly, in order to enact all sorts of leg
iSlation favorable to certain inter, SITS
connected with Baltimore City and
certain influential people in the City.
and if these interests and thu people
connected with them have ever been
favorable to any measures in the real
interest of the public at large,
there is no record of the fact
The conservative people of the
State regardless of party and loca-
ton, are face to face this year with
situation which should be considered
in all its bearings, and especially the
probable effect of the passage of the
two constitutional amendments on the
future welfare Of the State. Theore-
tically, the argument that the City
should have representation in the
General Ass mbly in proportion TO
it, actual population, is most plau-
Sible one, but the experience in all
the states where il has been grant d.
has been very diScouraging and the
large influx of ignorant, anarchistic
and socialistic aliens. who crowd into
the large centers of population. re-
tain their native languages and Gus
toms, all of which are hostile to the
spirit which should govern patriotic
Americans, have rendered the cities
the greatest menace 10 the well-being
and prosperity of the country. These
people have brought with them across
the sea all the ancient grudges and
race hatreds which are today causing
most Of the troubles prevalent in the
old world They do not understand
our system Of government they do
not understand any of our ideas of
life. and they do not care to under
stand them They crowd together in
such a manner. live to themselves TO
such an extent, that not until the
third or fourth generation, will their
descendants become really and truly
Americanized. and fit for citizenship.
and many of them even generations
hence. will still remain alien in all
important particulars, and thus unfit
to exercise the right to participate in
the selection of rulers. and in the
other functions of citizenship and
government. Our forefatherS in their
great desire To increase the popula-
ton of the country. in years gone by,
enacted laws of such a character that
all sorts of undesirable aliens were
admitted without any restrictions
6 L
~ and in all other respects thorough
Is unfit for such q civilization as ours
was intended to be. who have never
asSimilated with the descendants OF
the men and women who settled this
country. and established this system
of government and they and their de-
scendants are incapable of assimila-
ton. and will always remain so, and
who in reality never wish to become
part and parcel of our civilization.
They are here. however, and the only
thing to be done is TO restrict their
power and influence to ~ smallest
possible extent, and it Is not out Of
bounds 70 say that al least one third
of the population of Baltimore city
is composed of men and women who
are utterly unfit 10 exercise the right
of suffrage. who have no comprehen-
sion Of their duties a citizens. and
who never will become any better
qualified than they are at the present
time. They are inherently and
racially impossible as active and in
telligent parts of the body polite IN
such a state as Maryland.