Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1853-10-20

un,n the bill introduced into Tie House
oil Reprt srntaiives, at the special see
sion hy MIR. Dodge, Of North Provi-
CeLce. and referred 10 the judiciary
committee and postponed to the OciO-
Ter session. As IA literary production,
il rank. among the rurIosites OF leglsia
Il u. We give II IN The original OrihO-
graphy, and without tie alteration II "A
letter. Not content with revoiuiiOniZing
The government and overihrowi ing the
'sDerdee" MIR. Dodge lays abou, him
upon the English language, as though
every word WAS an A gerine, and nouns
verbs and pronouns were Hunker Dem
ocrats or Wings in disguise. 10 his
hands, LindIey Murray and Noah Web
ster fare no better Than the constitution
nseli grammar is an aristocraiic i'll
slNulion, and syntax is as bad as The
registry tax.
But il is not to the literary character
OF the bill that we wish TO call The lat
iention Of our readers. 1t is to the
monstrous facilities for fraudulent voting
that the bill opens. BY section seventh
the vital section ol The bilI-the sui-
frage is extended 10 every citizen Of the
ShitCh uhllNt VI
who has lived in The S,ae one
year.
No Term Of residence in the fopn is
required, and men may change from
town TO town the day before voting, or
The day OF voting, as the exigenclrs Of
radiralsm may demand. A hundred
men maS move from IA town where they
are not wanted, vote ina town where
their votes will count IN The choice of
delega'es, and remove back again he
same day.
The town clerks are required TO put
on the list the name oi every man who
testifies 10 his right TO vote. or Tor
whom any other man will testify. and
and no rebutling testimony can be re-
cieved. A gang OF men may come on
from New York, and one c!eclor swear
ing that all OF them have the right TO
! vote. their names must go on the lisr,
although il is well known that not one
Of them has the right 10 vote. The
man who makes the false oath may be
arrested and be prosecuted for perjury
by the same officers who are 40 Wig liant.
! ly engaged in enforcing the liquor law;
the rest will go home, and their rotes
uW all count. nor can they he rejected
oy any further judicial dec sion upon
their invalidlly.
All cdnraSsing is dboHShed and The
lists are subjected 10 no scrutiny phai-
erey ; anybody can get his name on the
list, and nobody can get II OFT. The
plan is to open the suffrage 10 everybo-
Gy, and to drown the real voice OF
Rhode Island in Il food of illegal and
iO:egn voting.
Nor is this all the suffrage Tor vo-
+ ting on the new consttution-ior. as
will be seer, II whole constitution. not
tie simple repeal VI the registry tax, is
contcmpIatcd-is not lett TO the conven-
ton, nor even limited hy the general
suffrage which may be established in
the new constitution, hut is extended 10
all whom The JiH entities 10 roie Jor dele
gates TO The convention.
This, men OF Rhode Island, 10 the
"retorm" that is marked out Tor you
This Is the manner in which The peoDie
are TO elect II conven ion, and even un-
der all this raud, the question OF holding
the convention at all 4. not 10 bc voted
upoL. The General Assembly orders
the convention, anJ the delegates are
to be elected in the manner that we
! have described, and which our readers
can examine at greater length in the
bill itself Were we not right when we
sad that the history of egislation afford.
/ ed no precedent 10 The mons,rous out
rage and insult OF this bill And it is
because some Of the Democratic Sena-
tors would moi be dragooned INTO the
support Of this iniquilous measure. that
the party organs have been denouncing
| them as false 10 the party.
There are other provisions OF the bill
scarcely l"ss revolving TO all sense OF
right. Although, in the first seciir II.
the purpose Gi the convention is d. clar-
ed 10 be Ito propose an article or MtI-
clcs TO form part OF the existing con-
slltution OF this State, 10 relation 10 the
abolition OF The tax required TO enable
voters 10 exercise the right iWDeIdge."
yet the very next section but one speaks
OF the CONSTITUTION or articles agreed
upon by The convention )" thus recosni-
z ng the right Of the conventional right
WI ich would doubtless be exercised
whether recognized or not 10 frame a
uhO!e c0nStitu ion.
We have from time TO time warned
the people Of the conspiracy that has
been formed against them for the ad-
mission Of the foreign vote. But that is
nothing compared TO this bill. We or
ly wish that every voter in the State
may see il, and may form his own es,l-
maze y, ornlence Journal.