Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-04-05
tFrom the Cincinnati Gazette. Radical.1
Manhood Suffrage in Ohio.

The House of Representatives yesterday
passed the Manhood Suffrage resolution,
; which had previously been adopted by the,
! Senate, with an amendment disfranchising
/ rebels and deserters. This result was hard
! lly to be expected. It is not the less ac-
q :eptable on that account, When the Dem
/ 1crats made the Constitution of Ohio, it
! was intended by its trainers that 1t should
not be changed until the specified time for
holding a new Convention. To this end it
was provided that it should require three.
fifths vote of the Legislature to submit to
the people proposition to amend the Con-
stitution. 1t then seemed almost certain
that such vote could never be obtained,
especially on question of political i'm
portance. If any one had predicted when
the Constitutional Convention was in ses-
sion in this city seventeen years ago, that
at any future time three-fifths of the Leg
I-islature could be obtained to vote in favor
of manhood suffrage, he would have been
accounted insane. But war creates great
necessities, and necessities bring about
wonderful changes in public sentiment. 1t
became necessary to destroy slavery, and,
therefore, it was destroyed. Then it be-
| came necessary to force manhood suffrage
upon the late rebel States, and it was done.
| The Union party having gone thus far
having prescribed this condition for the
South, could not consistently withhold the
ballot from the colored man in Ohio
J.
| the Legislature have voted to submit to the
people the question of striking the word
white from the Constitution. That is con-
sistent 1t is right.
!, Itnow remains for the people to make
decision in this matter at the next cleo
! tion. ia October. 1t will require majority
, of all the votes cast at that election, for
State officers, to carry the amendment.
Every vote polled for the general ticket
and not cast for the amendment, will count
against the latter. This was designed by
the trainers of the Constitution to render
; an amendment next to impossible. But 1t
/; nay be that the tide of progress, and the
! law of necessity which have secured the
unexpected, but requisite vote in the Legis-
ature, will also carry the proposition be-
! fore the people. ~
+ What party will oppose the. measure
! The Union party cannot-will not. In the
South the Democratic leaders have come
out in favor of manhood suffrage. They
are anxious to secure the votes of the col
cred men, and to this end are taking the
! latter by the hand. The conservatives, in
! convention at Nashville, fairly begged the
colored people to send delegates to the State
! Convention. They promise them equal
/ seats and equal rights. 1t is necessary to
the Democratic party that they should
have the colored vote in the South, and
with view to securing it, they will place
themselves on level, politically, with the
:olored people. The Democratic party at
the North cannot, as party, without de-
feating the projects of their Southern
brethren, oppose negro suffrage in this sec
ton. The Democratic party have proved
=: themselves capable of swallowing any
thing, however unpalatable, far the sake of
success, and we may expect to see them
( taking front ground in favor of manhood
suffrage in Ohio.
| However this may be, it remains for the
Union people to stand boldly by the action
of the Legislature. Sooner or later we
| shall have manhood suffrage. The princi-
pie is right and it is bound TO succeed. Let
it, therefore, be taken up now, by the party
of progress = the party that abolished
slavery and saved the GOvernment-and
carried through. The work of national
regene ration will not be completed until
this is done, and now is the time to do it.