The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1854-09-27
DAILY JOURNAL.
To the People Of Indiana.

10 the Fecpte Oh Indiana.
On the End of August, 1916, MIR. Turner
Nelson, the well known and long time Clerk
of the Circuit Court of Posey County, was
a candidate for reelection to that office, and
in Circular addresses to the people of his
county he found it necessary to expose the
declared opinions of Mr.. ALVIN p. HOVEY,
publicly expressed, as to the "right OF For
eigners 10 vote at all, or at least until they
had acquired a residence in the country of 81
years" aud that neither "native or foreigner
should be allowed to vote unless they could
read or write so as 10 understand the Con-
stitution of the United States" This Mr..
Nelson succeeded in doing by tie pubica-
ton of the following certificates Of a num-
Der of the best men in Posey county. all of
whom, with one exception, are still residents
of that county, and whose veracity will not
be impeached; indeed they were not at the
time contradicted or denied, Notwithstanding
the opportunity afforded Ar. Hovey TO do so.
The people of Indiana are respectfully asked
to compare the opinions expressed by Mrf
Ho"ey at that time, with the course he Is now
pursuing, and, in the language of the Evans
willie Enquirer answer sit it be possible that
the poor man and the foreigner are likely TO
obtain Justice at the hands of a high ju, icial
officer entertaining such sentiments:
81 certify that heard Alvia p. Hovey,
short while before the Presidential election
last November, in the Clerks Office at Mt.
Vernon, say, that he did not believe that
foreigner ever should be entitled TO a vote;
and further, that he did not believe that any
man should be allowed to vote that could not
read and write well enough TO understand
the Constitution of the government that he
lived under, and that Turner Nelson told him,
even il he thought SO, that he should not ex-
press himself so, for it might rise in judgme mt
against him sometime when he little thought
CT ii, or words 10 that effect"
July End, 1915. ROBERT WILSON.
ii, Eli Aldrfdge; do certify that in the
Clerks Office in Mt. Vernon, some little time
before the Presidential election, heard Mr..
Alvin Z. Hoyey, state that "voters should
have property qualification before they
should be entitled to vote, aud that no Tor
eigner should be allowed to vote before he
had been in the country twenty-five years"
He had other conversation TO the same I'M
pert, but he stated the above unequivocaily
and clearly. | have heard that some per-
sons who were present pretend to under
stand that his conversation had reference to
foreigners only. He did talk that foreigners
shoald not vote until they had been in the
country twenty-One wears; but his assertion
about properly qualifc ton referred to ciii-
gems generally, aud was repeated by him sew
eral times; as witness my hand, this 2nd day
of August, "A. ID. lo45."
ELI ALDRIDGE.
Witness: PETER BELLEw, JOHN PEARSON.
"SOmetlme about the Presidential election
last November, Alvin p. Hovey was in con-
Versaliun with Morris Feehrer in Mt. Vernon,
he (Hovoy) said in my presence that he
thought no foreigner ought TO have vote,
and that man who could not read and write
well enough to understand the Constitution
under hich he lived ought not to have
vote. Some short time afterwards, Hovey
made use of the same expression In the
Clerks office and since then | have heard
him make use OF the same words"
WIN. ANDREWS.
an. b. At the time Hovey made use Of
the conversation in the Clerks office, Chas.
f. Leonard asked Hovey, how we should
know whether u man was qualified or not!
Hovey said there should be committee o:
examination to investigate the matter
Leonard observed at the time, that he should
hate to nave him on a committee TO examine
his qualifications, because he knew that his
tLeOnaru y vote Woulu not oe tuheu.
WIN. ANDREWS.
81 also certify, in addition to the above,
that Mr Hovey, at the time that he became
a candidate for Prosecutor, came to me aud
wished me tn say nothing in regard to what
heard him (Hovey) express as to men vot-
ing" WIN. ANDREWS.
August 2nd, 1854.
Il, the undersigned, (being callei upon by
Mr.. Il. Nelson) do certify that on the day OF
the first Wing procession in Mt. Vernon,
last fall, in Mr. Pentecost's store, | heard
MIR. Alvin p. Hovey say that he was of the
opinion that NO FoElGSER should be allowed
TO vote under q years residence; and that
no one, FOREIGNER OR NATIVE should be al.
lowed TO vote unless they could read and
write so as to understand the Constitution OF
the United States" JOSIAH Forth.
August end, ls45.