The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1869-02-24
The Suffrage Amendment.
THE RADICAL PRESS OF ILLINOIS IN
OPPOSITION.
[From the Chicago Tribune. I


The Senate remained in session
through the whole Of Monday night,
and until nearly noon on Tuesday, ell
deavoring to finish the debate on the
suffrage amendment to the Constitution.
The extraordinary development was
made during the discussion that Srna
tors Sumner and Edmunds were opposed
to the measure on the ground that tho
fourteenth amendment, which was rati-
fled last years, establishes universal suf-
fragc. This will be surprise to the
people OF Illinois, who have thus far de.
MED to the handful of colorcd peorle in
their midst the right of voting. Per-
haps Mr.. Sumner and Mr.. Edmuuds
mean to express the opinion that the
Fourteenth amendment authorizes and
enables Congress to establish universal
suffrage by law. We think that it does
not. There never has been time
when Mr.. Sumner could bring major.
ty Of The Senate to his way Of thinking
on this question.
Mr.. Drake, Of Missouri, another i'm.
practicable genius, wanted to amend the
amendment so as TO enable negroes to
hold Office as we'll as vote. x Il
The time will come when Illinois will
accept both, but it has not yet come.
70 adopt Mr. Drake's amendment would
be literally killing two birds with one
stone that is, it would kill itself and
destroy the suffrage cause by the same
blow
From the Chicago Republican
Il
proposition to amend the national con-
sttulion which has ever passed either
Fl ousc Of Congress. 1t is so radical in
It's provisions, particularly that regard
ing nativity, that we doubt if it can Sc
cure ratification Of thrce-lourlhs Of the
States, it submitted to them in the
present stage OF popular opinion. Ten.
nessee. Missouri and Maryland may be
set down against it to a moral certain.
ty, with, perhaps, several Of the recon.
structcd States ; for it would admit to
the ballot box at once not only the ne
grocs, bn. the whole body of the OK.
rebels Of lawful age. Then several Of
the States provide in their constitutions
that the Governor shall be native
born citizen. 1t may be assumed in
each such case the proposed amendment
would meet with violent opposition, and
would be unlikely to carry. Besides,
; there arc some States in which the ques.
ton of color ed suffrage has been submit
ted to the people and defeated. The
| Legislatures OF snch States might refuse
to endorse proposition that had been
expressly rejected by their constituents
SO recently. 1t would require, it must
be recollcctcd, a negative vote on tile
part of only ten States TO prevent raiifi-
cation. In this light, the nativity"
stipulation might have been left out
with advantage. The amendment is not
intended for buncombc, but for earnest
work Even with tho providcments of
race, color and creed it would have all
the weights it could carry. The right
of naturalized citizens to vote is not, we
believe, invaded or attempted to be in
vaded IN any section Of the Union.-
The same may be said Of the right Of
religious belief. No one has yet offered
to make creed a test OF the qualification
to hold Office or TO exercise the elective
franchise III these matters Of le(orm
too much should not be undertaken at
once. 1t cannot be pushed ahead Of the
current demands Of enlightened public
: opinion.
From tho Chicago Evening Post.]
1t is morally certain that thus amend.
ment If concurred by the House it
will not be ratified. Texas, Mississippi
and Virginia are not yet in the Union.
| Cn1, 1,oo i &C
Republican States, have yet to elect
their Legislatures. 1t requires no gift
Of prophecy to predict that they will be
overwhelmingly opposed to ratification
Connecticut and Ohio, both doubtful,
have also to elect their Legislatures. -
The recent fate of the negro suffrage
amendments IN them does not give
much encouragement that proposition
considered more obnoxious will meet
with better fate. 1t is not certain that
even Rhode Island can be carried over
tho heads of her TWO Senators. Besides
these, there are other weak points, which
! 1--WE need not now mention.
II rs '------e. .e--------
LEGISLATURE --Corbin, pursuant to
notice, introduced Bill TO prevent and
punish bribery and corruption.
The first section OF the Bill is as fol-.
: lows:
Whoever corrnptly gives, offers, or
promises, TO any executive. legislative
or judicial officer, after his election or
; appointment, either before or aNe. he ia
qualified, or has taken lis seat any gift
or gratnity whatever, with intent to in.
fiuence his act. 7otc, opinion, decision
or Judgment, on any matter, question,
cause or proceed 6 which may be then
|, pending, or may by law como or be
brought before him in his official capaci.
ty, ehall be punished by imprisonment
: iii the State Penitentiary not exceeding
u FIVE years. or by fine not exceeding
! three thousand dollars, and imprlson.
> ment in the Jail not exceeding one
: lyear. ..a,H ha It
R. H. Cain said he thought he would