The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1867-05-30
From the Con"regatiorast
Citizenship and Right Of Suf;
frage.
By REV. LEONARD BACON, u. p,

[ have just been reading in the Con1re-
gotioaoi,st an article entitled "Rirht of
Suffrage and subscribed ''Quidam Isno-
tus." The article refers, quite disapprov-
inyly, to certain remarks of mine on Sena-
tor Wilson's proposed bill for guarding and
protecting the right of sJiffra.c in the
United States My"unknown friend" il
may SO translate his Latin signature.
docs not venture to answer any Of my
questions, C0ngrcgattonalist, April 5. I
though he says they might be "casily an
swercd.' Instead of that easy task, he
proposes" as he says: 'tc suggest to
you" Mr.. Editor, the propriety Of asking
me few questions founded Oh my article
and he makes some attempt to show what
those few questions are
Perhaps [ might reply, without any lack
of justice or courtesy, by saying of his
questions, as he says of mine, that they
may be easily answered" and that II do
not now propose to answer" them. But
assuming that he writes in good faith, |
will answer his questions frankly and ex-
pli.itly.
/. lie wants to know what is the idea in
my mind, which the words elective fran
chlsc, and the parallel words, right of
suffrage express and are intended to CON
vcy.
larswer that the idea in my mind which
those phrases express arS are designed to
convey, is the very iamil lar idea Of right
to vote in an election of political officers.
=. He asks concerning the elective fran
chise, ''the right Of suffrage" or in other
words, the right to vote, cit is a right at
all p
answer, certainly, it is a right in Con
necticut; and as | understand the case, it
is right in every State or country in
which any officer Of government is desg-
mated by electors.
8 He asks concerning this right: "To
whom does it appertain ?"
/ answer, it appertains, in any partlcu-
lar State or country, to just those persons
on whom the lar IF Mot State or country
has conferred it.
1. Referring to that State in which I
live, he asks whether the right in question
appertans "to the citizens of Connecticut,
or to portion Of them-thosc who have
peaked noses and straight hair"
answer, to neither. The right of yo-
ting in elections is conferred, BY the or
ganic law of Connecticut, not on citizens
simply as such, but on cH'-ens IF u certain
description ; and the description of the
citizens who are to vote is not that they
'havc peaked noses and strlisht hair"
To save HIM the trouble of asking again, |
will tell him just what kind of a citizen in
Connecticut has the right Of voting. l.
The citizen desiring to be vested with this
right must be invested with it by the
selecmen Of the town and they are to in
vest him with it if he has the following
qualifications, and net otherwise ,. The
citizen must be "male citizen lie
must he white" though it is not required
that he shall be clean, nor is anything said
about his nose or his hair. t. lie must
be not less than twcntysOnc years of age
). lie must have resided in the State one
year, and in the town six months next pre-
ceding the time at which he offers himself.
6. He must have good moral character
which means, believe, that he must not
have been convicted of crime IN any court.
I. He must be able to read. 6. lie must
take certain oath prescribed by law.
5. My friend Ignotus asks whether the
elective franchise is a fright Of citizen
ship"
answer, no, neither in Connecticut nor
anywhere else within my knowledge.
g. He asks, "Is it a natural, civil, po-
litical and constitutional right 7"
answer, it is not a natural right. II it
were, it would belong to persons who can
not read TO persons who removed into the
town, or into the State, only yesterday
to persons just out of the penitentiary, to
minors, to women, and persons not white.
Nor is it, in my understanding of words, a
civil right 1t isa political right, mas.
much as it depends on the policy, or gov
erL mental scheihe, of the commonwealth
in which it is exercised. 1t is constitu-
tional, inasmuch as it is conferred and
guarded by the Constitution or organize
law of the State which designatcs men to
Office by the votes of its electors
7. He asks, "When the Constitution
says The House of Representatives shall
be composed ofmembers chosen x
by the people, the citizens for people and
citizens mean the same does he under
stand that the people have any rights in
the matter :"