Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-03-28
lFrom the Chicago Tribune. March 2l.l
VOTE IT DOWN.

The Legislature of Massachusetts has lately
proposed an amendment to the Constitution of
that State, restricting the right of voting.
among adopted citizens to such as have been
two years naturalized. The amendment is to
be submitted to the people. We hope that it
may be voted down; and that the Republican
party of the Commonwealth will be pre-emi-
nent in its opposition to the proposed change
1t is due to the integrity of our organization,
composed as it is, in part, of the masses of the
educated foreigners of all natiOnaltieS, that a
measure in itself so unjust and unexpected
one against which they supposed that the Re
publican National Convention at Philadelphia,
in 1856, had given them sufficient guaranty
should meet with its quietus by Republican
hands. Good faith and fair dealing with those
who separated themselves from the bogus De-
mocracy to assist the party of Freedom in the
accomplishment of the results which it pro-
poses-who have, for the sake of principle,
been willing to fraternize with Know Nothings,
their most deadly enemies-and who have in
their action on the national questions at issue
between the parties, displayed a degree of pa
triotism and fidelity which many an American
might initiate with advantage-good faith to
these demands, that there should be no hesita-
tiOn no lodging, no compromise in this thing.
1t must be killed, or RepublicanismI in all the
Northwestern and not a few of the Eastern
States, is needlessly and imminently imperilled.
While we speak thus decidedly, let not our
Massachusetts friends understand that the Re.
publicans of Illinois and the adjoining States,
where the value Of the aid of adopted citizens
in the progress of Republican principles is re-
cognized and appreciated, ask for a contin-
uance of the naturalization laws as they are.
Our Germans, Scandinavians, English, Protes-
tant Irish and French, to a man, will not only
assent to, but gladly declare themselves in favor
OF an important change. They see as clearly
as Americans can the frauds which, under the
law, may be and are perpetrated, and they
WILL we are assured, cooperate with whomso-
ever will take the lead in the legislation that
may be necessary for greater security of their
inestimable rights. They will cordially agree
that man shall vote within two years of the
date of his last papers, if those papers can be
obtained by three years residence; or what
is perhaps better still, they will consent that
five years may intervene between the date of
the naturalization papers and the first exercise
Of the elective franchise, provided that natur-
alization may take place within the first years
residence in the country. But they demand,
and justly enough, that the law shall be law
of Congress, uniform in its action and univer-
sal in its application and it is a wonder that
the members Of the Massachusetts, Legislature
could not so far respect their principles as to
melnOrlallZe congress Tor an enactment which
all Republicans, native and adopted might
support rather than throw an element Of dis
cord into our political discussions which should
now be directed toward the best methods of
releasing the country from the wicked rule of
the sham Democracy.
1t is time, however, that this question, mis-
named Americanism, should be met, and that
the abuses of the elective franchise, by which
the Democracy of the North usually secure
their triumphs, should be prevented. We are
not afraid of the agitation which will follow a
re-opening of the whole matter. We know
that the adopted citizens working with the
Republican party for the principles of freedom,
are as sincerely DESTROYS of adopting any just
measures for securing purity in our elections,
preventing the illegal naturalization Of aliens,
and guarding the perfect expression of the
popular will, as Americans themselves. The
experience of the past six years has taught
them that they have nothing in the way OF in
tolerance and prescription to fear from the
American people. The bug-bear of Know
Nothingism has lost its terrors, and as might
be expected Of a body of men who enjoy here
the rational liberty that they have been denied
elsewhere, they grow more and more solicitous
to preserve that liberty to themselves, and
hand it down to their children unimpared
Massachusetts owes it to these men to put I'M
der foot the injustice which her Legislators
have proposed.