The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-12-10

III lhiI CLAUSE tuCiCOI WHICH t)IUNiuCS
for its own amendment, as circumstances
may render expedient, we propose the
following amendment for the considcra-
ton Of the people, and the approaching
session Of Congress, and of our State
Legislatures
AMENDMENT TO TIE CONSTITUTION.
ARTICLE XY. The right of suffrage in the several
Staos shall be regulated by the Legislature thereof
subject to the following rTovisos:
l. That no State shall exclude from the c'ass of
electors Of State AID Nations; cfIicer5 any naie
zen of the United States Of the age of u years who
has resided year in the State, who is of sound
mind, and good moral character, and has not been
convicted OF a ielonious crime.
> Any person who has resided orc year in the
United States and makes 2u, oath before a co rre-
tent magistrate that he intends permanently to reside
here, and to enderallegance tIie UaitcI States AZ
all fines. shall he deemed aid Lcld as citizen of
the United States, AID .ha be entitled to vote as
such at any time after he shall have becn six months
a citizen. but not sooner
B. Each State shall be authorized to pass such
regst ration oherlyws may be deemed necessary
TO protect the rights OF legal voters and punish lie
gel voting.
Whether under our present constitution
the right Of the States to regulate the
right of suffrage is subject to the legisla-
tive power of Congress to alter and
amend their regulations, as has been CON
tended by Madison and OF theirs, or wheth
the power Of Congress is wholly made
quate to such emergency, can best be set
at rest by a Constitutional Amendment.
The amendment above proposed confcrs
no power whatever on Congress, but only
limits til c power'of the States. 1t does
not give Congress the power to pass a
national uniform Suffrage law, bat in
effect. it Is such law embodied in the
Constitution. 1t prevents the States
from making suffrage otherwise than
uniform, and with a few exceptions uni
versal, as to all male adults. Ii leave
| the Statcs free to make such changes in
their suffrage laws not affecting these
| points as may be called for = as, for an
instance, by giving the ballot to women,
which some states might be prepared to
do long in advance of others They
would also be free adopt any system of
cumulative voting whereby representa-
ton of the minorties to any desired
extent might IL secured Nor does it
prevent them from making as many or as
few of their officers elective as they may
proper. 1t does hot prevent the reouir.
ment of educational or property qualif-
cations, or of longer term of residence
than that mentioned.
1t abolishes the pretended recruitment
of five years residence from foreigners
which we are fully convinced only exclu-
des from voting those aliens of character
who ought to vote, freely, within ten
days after landing if need be. In return
for the Democratic connivance which
helps them to vote, they reinforce the
! Democratic party with so, 600 new
votes per annum. IF this amend
ment were adopted, they would no lon
ger be the exclusive property of the
Democratic party. Possibly, some would
desire an amendment vcsting in Congress
the power of passing a national uniform
Suffrage law. But We can easily foresee
that this might, if the oligarchic element
should gain the ascendant, become a
weapon in the hands Of the reactionists
by which liberty might be slain, instead
of being bulwark of popular rights.
| No benefits could be secured by any law
to be passed by Congress which are not
fully embraced in the foregoing amend
ment, limiting the power of the State
Legislatures. But if Congress were
empowered to pass a national Uniform
suffrage law, the Democratic party would
only have to come into power at Wash
ington to abolish negro suffrage in Geor-
gia, Iowa, and Massachusetts,, and even
to exclude men from voting throughout
the country, solely on account of their
political views. 1t is safer to leave the
power to regulate the suffrage in the