Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-09-13
Uniform Rule of Suffrage.

drops OF Johnny burns WHISKY. T.
Uniform Rule of Suffrage.
One of the most intense of those demo-
cratic papers which threaten another re-
bellion and civil war in case Congress
refuses to admit the representatives of the
rebel States, elected by the votes Of rebels,
most inconsistency opposes any uniformi-
~ Of suffrage as a violation Of the rights
Of white men. Under the law as it now
stands 1t is in the power OF any State to
withdraw the right of voting from any
portion of its white population. In one
State, at least, one class of white citizens
is excluded from the polls in other States
strange tests exist which exclude white
freemen from voting; and it IS optional
with any State at any time to exclude
from the right of suffrage all naturalized
citizens generally, or those of any partlcu-
lar nationality, or any other. body OF white
men. If there was an uniform rule OF
suffrage prescribed in the constitution,
however violative it might be of State
sovereignty, it would not be possible for
Massachusetts, or Kentucky to exclude the
Irish, nor for Connecticut or Mississippi
to exclude the Germans; but the Ameri-
can citizen, having his rights secured by
an uniform law, could, wherever he might
reside, vote for the officers who are to
make and administer the laws by which
he is governed.
These papers ofthe malignant stripe pre-
fer leaving the liberties Of the white man
exposed to the vagaries of local excite
ments, prefer to subject the white voters
of each State to the danger Of having
their liberties taken from them at any day.
lest in establishing an uniform rule, that
rule may include some Africans. Here Is
specimen of their logic:
THE dignity, the peace, and the power
of the United States in the future depends
upon the balance of political power not
being in the hands of four OF five hun
bred thousand ignorant blacks. The very
instant these men are admitted to the
right of suffrage, they practically govern
the country. The weight of their vote
thrown with either of the great political
parties will generally decide the election.
If they were capable of discriminating be-
tween the parties through an understand
ing Of the principles involved, and if they
were capable of being influenced by prin.
ciple, instead Of by the lowest and most
selfish considerations, it would be less an
evil to permit them to vote. But even in
that impossible case, it would not be right
that four millions of voting whites should
be controlled by four hundred thousand
of an inferior race, so stamped by nature
through color and intellect or forever to
debar them from either social or political
quality"
This is q most remarkable confession
coming from that quarter. 1t reminds US
very much Of the style Of reasoning adopt
ed by the Know Nothing. In that day,
when put none but Americans on
guard" was the watchword, it was ar
gued that America was for the Aneri-
cans" that the dignity, the peace and the
power Of the United States depend upon
the balance of power not being in the
hands of four or five hundred thousand
ignorant foreigners" It was then said
that the very instant that these men are
admitted to the right Of suffrage they
practically govern the country. The
weight of their vote, thrown with either
of the great political parties, will gener-
ally decide the election, etc.
In those Know Nothing days it was oh.
jected that these foreigners came to this
country ignorant of the principles upon
which our government was formed, and
being unable to discriminate between the
principles Of parties, blindly voted the
Democratic ticket. Hence, being all
united, it was commended that the Ameri-
can people should not be ruled by this
population thus rccklessly admitted to the
polls. Strike out negroes, and insert for
eigners. and there is not a word against
admitting a negro to vote that is not a
rehash of the stale and the exploded argu.
ments of the Know Nothing party.
The confession which is contained in
the extract we have quoted consists in the
admission that if the four hundred thou
sand blacks be permitted to vote, they
would always have enough Of the five
millions Of white voters to vote with them
to make a majority of the whole people.
Thus in New England. where the negro
vote does not exceed, if, indeed, it would
reach 5000, it would be able always to
control a majority of the white vote, which
of those six States amounts to over $780,
900 votes. ...
In the State of Michigan there might
possibly be mustered 1920 negro voters,
and it is commended that a majority Of the
10000 white voters of the State would
forthwith vote with the negroes! In the
State Of Illinois the negro vote might
reach 5000, and, to be Of any political
value. it will require that q majority of the
25O,0 900 white voters should vote with the
negro! To make out that the 1000, 900 of
white voters will be ruled by the 100000
blacks, is to admit that W millions Of the
white men would vote with the negro !
II this be the result that will follow negro
suffrage, it is o result indicating that the
black voter will have ut least as much
political discrimination as n half the
white voters and having that, it is hardly
fair to exclude him on the score Of igno-
rance. a-a-r
The proper question for the people OF
this day is not whether negroes shall or
shall not vote; but whether we should
have a uniform rule by which a free cit-
zen of the United States, native or natu-
rallied, shall have the same right Of voting
wherever he may take up his residence;
and whether that rule should be fixed in
the Constitution, above the reach of the
local hatreds and the local feelings Of
States and communities. -Chicaso RlpSb-
heon.