Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1866-09-26

fore (and in no one of which is 'sman-
hood suffrage" pure and simple, al
lowed)-that the power to say who
shall cast its ballots is the essence of
State freedom, then this section be-
comes an insult to us. 1t says to all
the people of all the States, ''You have
"thought it unsafe TO give to all your
finale citizens an equal right with
syou in Government afiairs-you
"thought it dangerous. Now, how
sever, you must give up that opinion
sand encounter that danger. Why!
"In order that we who admit all may
"have more power, and that you may
"have less, and more danger" That
is Just what it comes to. Georgia and
Mississippi say to us, that il would
ruin them to let negroes vote. New
England says, "you need not let them
vote zoe care nothing for that but il
goa do not, let US haze half your men,
bers Of Congress"
And that is true. New England
politicians care no more about negroes
than Pennsylvanians; but they know
how to trade in him, and he consti-
tutes to-day the great bulk of their
political capital In this very propo-
sition they give him over wholly to
the other States, if the latter will not
count him in the basis of representa-
ton. "You may have the negroes,
do with them as you please, but we
want more members Of Congress or,
what is the same thing, that you
should have fewer This is the Ian
guage Of this section Of the amend
ment.
/ have said that all this is a depart
ure from the original intention OF The
founders of the Union, which, as far
as possible, was to preserve the free
dom of the States, and leave to their
people the right to adjust their inter
nal affairs in their own way. 1t was
in that spirit, too, that the Constitu
ton provides that the "United State
q shall guarantee to each State a Rcput
IicaA form Of Government !" or, in 9th
er words, the "United States guaran
tees to each State the right to estab
n lish its own Government and Mr.
Madison says this was what was mean
/, by the phrase, Republican form o
/ Government"
Now, if thepeople of State have th
3 right to form their own State govern
= ments. it is not easy to see how the.
can do so, if some body outside tn
q State can dictate to them who shal
vote or who not vote. 1t were useles
! to say to them, you "shall elect You
own State officers, but we must pre-
e vide who shall east the ballots Th
! people might well answer, 'if 20
I dictate the voters, the voters viii elec
/. the officers, so that you really dictat
I both" That is not freedom
@ Each State then, if free, has tn
Y right to say who shall vote, and if
e is not the right, then the Union, IL
! stead of being a Union OF States, bs
2 comes a Consolidated Governmen
6 and the whole power must eventual
,e concentrate in the Federal centre
IS Washington.
+ Lastly, it is argued that this sectic
10 is necessary to equalize the power
= voters North and South, which Is
n contemplate a sophism as ever W
h hatched in the brain Of a demagOgu
te The power Of voter, like that OF
er officer in any State, is precisely VIII
the Constitution andlaws Of the Sta
d. confer and, no more, and if one Sta
or chooses to limit the number OF bot
H. and thus increase the deposit Of pow
nd in their hands, upon what ration
e. ground can the people OF other Stat
te complain Power resides in the pc
Of pie, and Pennsylvania, having
Of times as many people as Massact
he setts. she has two and half times
N, much power as Massachusetts,. NJ
To the Legislature of the latter Sta
ID consists of 600 members, and that
a. Pennsylvania only Of 1873. Thereto
as one of these l33 WELD 10 times {
or mower that one of the GOO does, a
at vet nobody ever heard Massachuss'
he complain Of this. Ifshe did she wot
i'll be reckoned fool, and laughed at
be her pains, simply because it cam
m affect her in any possible way, a
III Pennsylvania would have the SAL
to right 10 ask her to reduce her Leg
NJ Iature that she would to ask us to
me crease ours. So il is with voters. a
of to put the argument for the amer
of ment on thar ground is absurd, a
.he only shows its weakness. No
ose State or number ofStates has ris
TO to intermcddle with the elective tts
in chisc in other States, rs il cam
But affect them but, If they were TO
The tcrfcrc at all, one would think u m
nly wise if they were TO protest agar
Ite- negro suffrage than seek TO enforce
ers Surely no wise man can bolicvc 1
orn the ballot box would be purer OF 50
rs IL the nprrOoe nut votes in II.