Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-01-30
Unrestricted Suffrage.

members OF the House, prior to the vote on
the bill relating to sufffage in the District of
Columbia, a large majority favored restricted
suffrage, and that it was the Democrats in the
House who finally aided the minority of the
Republicans TO defeat the proposition to restrict
she suffrage to a property and educational test.
This il not fair statement of the facts What
ever the vote IN the caucus may have been, 1t is
certain from the subsequent action of the Re-
pubicans in the House, that decided majority
of the Republican members favored unrestricted
suffrage When the bill was presented to the
House for its final action, q motion to lay the
bill upon the table, and another motion to post
pane action upon it until the first Tuesday In
March. defeated by nearly party vote.
Mr. Hale, of New York, Republican, then
moved to amend to entend the suffrage in
the District of Columbia to all persons coming
within either of the following classes, irrespee-
tive of color, but subject only to provisions
qualifications already existing
FHa-Those who can read the Constitution
of the United States.
Second-rhose who assessed for and pay
taxes on real or personal property within this
District.
Th,rd-Thoss who have served in and been
honorably ged from the military or naval
service of the U DIted States, and TO restrict
such right OF suffrage TO the classes named, and
to include proper provisions exciuclng from the
right OF suffrage those who have borne arms
against the United States during the late rebel
hon, orrglven aid and comfort to said REBELLION
The property clause Of this amendment
at once stricken out, and the House then refused
to commit 70 the Judiciary Committee, with in
structions to amend as proposed in the remain
ing clauses, by a vote of III against So. The
D 'm0crats all voted against the commitment.
Tue fifty three votes for the commitment were
all Rspu Vi cans, and embraced Mr. Woodbridge,
aud several other Ne " England members. The
Rutland Herald Is mistaken however, in sup
POSING that those ffty-three members are a
Ia ,J,rity of the Rspubl leans of the House.
A. there are but thirty nine Democrats in the
Ii II 9, there must have been at least St venty-
eight Republicans who voted against restricted
s.fe4xe. As ten Of these seventy-eight voted
,Ay against tn bill, and are understood to
be hostile to any suffrage, and on that question
vote always with the Democrats, the vote may
be analysed as follows: For restric ted suffrage
SO puoiIcans for Unrestricted su fra ge 6s
R'puoncAns against any suffrage all the Dem
Goats and ten Unlonisrs.
Toe obj ct OF the Democrats and of the ten
UnIonIsts who Oppose any suffrage, in voting
against the commitment of the bill, was par
liamentary dodge to make the bill Is obnoxious
as p,sslbie, hoping on its pass ee to secure
enough Republican votes against It, with their
o~u sUId sire Iglb, TO defeat it, They were,
however, hand somejy cornered this game
anu very badly beaten, the mi nority of the Re
nuhlIcaUa euEr
Voting at last with the majority in favor of the
bill without amendment.
Toe Herald, IN further commenting upon the
asp ct of the suffrage question, says:
This qualified suffrage, the basis of a GER
tain degree OF lnteilIg ehce and of honnra ole
military service, Is In accordance with the ex-
pressed and well known views of President
Johnson, as well as those Of the iaEe PresId. ut
Lincoln. Ii l. also In accord with the views of
q majority OF h publlcan members of Congress-
and of q goodiy portion of those outside OF
Congress who stand above the mere parts n or
I.0er In politics. il Is doubtless the desire of
a majority of the su bsrantisl men the loyal
states, regardless OF political party consldera-
tons, AID OF q large portion of the sincere
Union men at the South, to secure some such
boon As this to the freedmen.
No man can reasonably be presumed to know
better than President Johnson the real oondi-
conditions, their PASSIONS and prejudices. Born
among the poor and humble of them, working |
bis way up 10 the highest ranks by bis knowl |
edge OF SOutherc men and interests, for quarter |
OF q century connected officially with the gov |
ernins classes yet always speaking On behalf |
OF the laoOrIng masses OF ms white fellow Cit
liens, and Aore recently devotIng his entire
en- rgies, and exposing lite and property for the /
Union and the protection OF ali Union men, in
Guiding tie coiored race, his patriotism Is
broad and unquestioned his knowledge.
Thls intelligent and patriotic Southern man, L
whom the loyal men OF the country voted for q
little more than one year ago, has expressed the
opinion that universal and unq laIifso suffrage
among the freedmen of the South would be
likely 10 work more against the Union interest
than tor lt-that oemagogues among their late
owners could and would control them more than |
any Influence that could be brought from the
North. He therefore looks for an extension of
81 d age among them based on honorable ser
vice or nteliIgence the safer and wiser poll
Cyl
just what kind of suffrage President johnson
would have is not certainly known, except as it
ls Inferred from the published version of his
Conversation with Major Stearns. Ii is known,
however. that he favors leaving the question to
the States. " hat favor it will meet even from {
unionsts in the South be judged from the
so''OA Va AShuSSSCC, WutCn olOue VI tue late
rebel states, is in the political control of |
Union men. The UnIonists there have yet taken
no acton which looks like giving Freedmen
even u,iIfed suffrage and Gov. Brownlow
does Lot assent to is except as last efuge to
offset the vote of she late rebels. The right of
these Freedmen to vote. and the necessity that
they should be given the ballot rs their own
prote ,rIon against the political and civil on |
preston of their late n:a.ters, do not seem to
hav, occurred to the mos advanced Tn |
10 lists of the South, with the exception per-
bap- OF few in louisiana And We a.. in
cined TO think that the opposition to suffrage
which comes from Southern men, whether Un-
ionis's or rebels, springs not SO much from a
superior knowledge of the capacities and needs 5
Of the Freedmen, from the old habit and 4
thous bus and the intense prejudices which 6
slavery has fOstered in aim )st every Southern |