William J. Frere
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William Joseph Frere (July 1, 1861; Washingston, D.C. – October 6, 1922; Tompkinsville, Maryland)[1] was an American farmer and politician, serving as a state senator in Maryland. A member of the Democratic Party,[2] Frere represented Charles County, Maryland from 1910 to 1914.[3][4] Frere lived in Tompkinsville and was a farmer.[5] He was a sponsor of the failed Digges Amendment, which was intended to disenfranchise African-American voters by challenging the Fifteenth Amendment's applicability to state elections, and also to enforce a property requirement.[6] It was strongly defeated in a public referendum.