The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-02-18
RATURALIzED VOTERS IN MASSACHUSETTS.
SPEECH OF mR. JOHN @. TUCKER,


In the Massachusetts, house Of Representatives Fri
day February a. there debate the question Of
ordering 10 third reading the following resolve pro
yiding for an amendment of the constitution: N
person Of orssa b shan b. suid 70 yols or shah be
eligible ohe unless he shah have resided within The Jurisdiction
qaaie according o.
lhls Commonwealth Tordiod, ihs shah
time q he saopoa thereof And pro id s tEsi sSa no,
aec, the rights d any child of citizen born during the temporary
absence q the parent abroad. hHH "HTfHr uFa .f#
Mr.. JoHN O. TucKm of Boston, spoke as follows
Mr.. Speaker: expected, sir, TO hear from the com
mttee who reported this amendment substantial
reasons why such important provision should be m
bodied in the constitution of Massachusetts, But what
single weghty has been given to this house for
imbodying in the constitution Massachusetts, amend
ment procrptive, unjust and prosecuting to
large portion Of your flesh and blood notwithstand
ing that you often boast Of descent
am astonsbed to hear the puDy and pretended
which have been given for this wanton Innovation but,
sir, long the gentleman Mr Rice OF Woceser has
for the want of better assigned such reasons the house
will excuse me IL follow him and comment little upon
them.
wish the house to bear in mind that this amendment
Is here in peculiar Why is it introduccdf IL
Is the business of the committee to show the necessity of
it, How have they shown it Y Why the gentleman
tells you that you look into your
days before election you will body of getting
out their naturalization papers But what of that IL
is the right which the law and the constitution have Civ
en- them IL is for the committee to show that the right
has been abused and that Is the question: and the only
one, for this house TO consider These men haye'an
undoubcd right 10 be naturazcd aud the only question
Is has this hight been perverted from its proper use or
design? And what does the gentleman show in this
nection That on the of election these alleged
very Ignorant men called up to vote for some fvorite
candidate under the direction of avorite leader.
want to know if the gentleman himself does not sa
under leader lie does not originate anything himself
not even this amendment but he follows his party and
his party leaders both in and out of the house. doubt
MIR. Speaker, whether the gentleman would dare to
press independent opinion upon any subjectwould
vensure to change his boarding his parson
his tailor, his barber without consulting his party
csders Don they instruct him what tr,desmen, what
churches and what theatres to patronze and don't he
do as they tell him, like faithful docile, and obeent
party drudge, he is appeal to the shrewd thea
cal manager and member from Boston to say IL this is not
the literal fact And yet he finds fault with the Ignorant
Irish because they follow the lead of designing men
ask the gentleman prove to this house the abuse OF
that constitutional privilege their part than
his. Has he attempted ita No. sir, he dare not.
Mr. Speaker, the gentleman has drawn from me, or
win draw from me, the use of some strong language
bu, every word say will be true. Everything which
tea You of has been witnessed by myself and many
Others. t.s,.sr 81 t.,. ,..s,-..gr,,..r- ..r,-.x.,
The gentleman has gone into the elections for argu
ment; well, let me follow him, and let the
parave abuses by this foreign population have lived
in Boston thirty three years have family here, and
expect to live here the remainder of my days. not
driven out of it by such bgoty and persecution this
proposed measure. j have some small property here ;
though am taxed enough for that. laughter But
must confess that expected to the elective
franchise abused as it in the last election What
saw know and must thank the gentleman for afford
ing opportunity to tell it, Talk about abuses of
the elective franchise! Why, sir, have men-na
tve-born Americans-draggcd from gambling houses
have seen men-no, boys nineteen years of age-go up
TO the polls and vote have the filth Of North
street, the gambling rooms, and the lcwd dance-ha
scraped together to elevate certain person to the posi-
ton of member of Congress say have seen this /
say know it. Was it the Ignorant adopted citizen
{I,or,1 N,t, X1t
Why, sr-though regret to say It'll have also heard
good authority, what will make this house almost
shudderand refer to the public press of Boston to
bear out in the stacmentthat the worry Judge on the
bench did leave court of justice, and go downtown
to Clash Saloon in North sree-to make political
capital for his favortc candidate for Congress Sensa
tion IL it had been poor adopted citizen who did
that, what hue and cry there would be ! But defy
any man this floor to show me where a foreigner
abused che voting privilege in the last election.
there, and know all about it. could go further. have
said that the lowest places aked and scaped for
voters to elect certain republican leader to Congress
More than that those very men were bought and
paid for to go to the polls and answer to names upon
the checklist of some who Dead and others who
were serving out their sentence in our criminal nst-
tuons. 1t happened to be my good bad luck to be
present at of the voting places and had send
for eight additional policemen because the design be-
apparent that these going to snatch the
baotboxes in the probable event of the democratic can
didate being elected. Sensation The officers of that
ward can certify to the truh of what say. Now, viii
the gentleman show when and where, in the history
Of Massachusetts, frauds like these perpetrated
the integrity of the ballotbox threatened by adopted cit
liens IL cannot be done. In view of these facts,
think, MIR. Speaker it i'll becomes the gentleman from
Worcester to charge abuses of the elective franchise upon
adopted citizens while the conduct of supporters of this
measure in attaining their party ends has sounded
the lowest depths Of political degradation and infmy
Let them, sir before this house with clean hands,
before attempting, the miserable plea of abuse of pre-
rogatve to dsfanchise abrdge the political rights of
any class of their fellow-citizcns.
Having said much, sir upon the arguments ad-
duccd from the purity of elections, think the burden Of
proof still upon the gentleman to show the abuses that
adopted citizens have committed upon the right of suf
age. Having sgnally failed to show this why insist
upon this amendment / think 1 speak TO common
sense men, and trust speak TO charitable and
II did not think So would not have the confidence to
speak here situated am and in the party that be-
long to- know the republican party in this house
allpowerfu but that is why they should not
be just Where, sir is the danger to be apprehended
from this ngrcss of adopted ctizensg Let examine
the matter Look at the history of Massachusetts, and
what do you find think / will start with few sta
scs for the benefit of members who have read the
State census and viii show you how the matter stands
with reference 10 the proportion of native to the foreign
born population The census of 1885 gives the number
of nutive-bon at 1856 5T9 the foreign population az
2f5,2 1853 The gentleman alluded to Boston. BY the
the native population OF Boston rs 922
the foreign population-dont be aarmed--s5 507 not
including the children of foreigners 2l years of age
Is not the gentleman who reported this bill alarmed at
thatl And yet these 900 foreigners represent
cd on the floor of this house by but single member
From bis exceency down 30 the very humbest sweeper
in this building, my life upon It. you win not find per
Of foreign birth in the pay of the Massachusetts