The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-09-22

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when agricultural products are so low
and employment so scarce, and wages
so reduced, and interest ON money SC
high, and good, honest, honorable mer
in every branch of commercial and
mercantile and mechanical industry
are on the very verge of hopeles:
bankruptcy. And because I can not
say all these things, 1 can not turn
from them with such entire complacen-
cy consider whether the last Legislature
sat few days too long, or did right
to create the offices which Governor
Hayes recommended, or to allow
counties and cities and towns to tax
themselves.
If it be true that the session of this
Legislature cost more than the last, it
was because the last Republican Leg
islature increased the l,er diem of the
members. And if the Legislature un-
wisely created some offices which the
Governor recommended, it is also true
that they refused to pass an expensive
and odious registry law, which he twice
urged upon their favorable attention.
The scheme of reconstruction of this
Administration, its action toward Vir-
ginia, its administration of foreign af-
fairs, its neglect of American citizens
who have been imprisoned OF murder
ed in Ireland or Cuba, its utter shame
lessness in selling high offices, its ut
ter want of appreciation vf its grave
duties and responsibilities, all these
are tempting subjects of discussion,
| but / refrain at this time.
| will discuss Federal politics SO far
only as they directly affect the people
of our own State. '.ru.- s..;
FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT. .i:
Iopposc the adoption of the Fifteenth
Constitutional Amendment, because it
is a material radical change in our sys-
| tenn of Government; because it de-
stroys the relation of the States to the
Federal Union. which the Constitu-
ton established, and degrades them
because it takes away from the States
without their consent that essential at
tribute of q sclf-govcrning community:
the right to determine who shall cXcr-
else the right of suffrage.
/ object to its adoption, because it
was intended to, and it will introduce
| negro suffrage in Ohio against the will
of her people. Two years ago, the
people of Ohio, without distinction of
party, by an immense majority, refus-
ed to amend the State Constitution.
They did this after full argument
ter full consideration Of negro suffrage.
1 sec no reason to believe they have
changed their opinion. Yet now the
attempt is to be made to force them to
submit TO 4hc system which they SO
emphatically and deliberately rejected.
The Convention which nominated Gen
eral Grant declared, as part of it's
creed: s'Thc question Of suflrge in
all the loyal States properly belongs
to the people of those States" And
yet in one short yoar the test of loyal
ty and patriotism, by this same party,
is to deny to the States the regulation
of the suffrage.
l object to its adoption, because by
the strongest implication it confers up
on Congress, and reserves to the States
the right to exclude from the ballot
persons of our own white race because
| of their nativity or their creed, or their
! want of education, or their poverty,
and prohibits the exclusion only of
another race. And thus, if the inter-
probation of Senator Morton and Sena-
tor Howard be correct, under this
amendment of Congress the States
may exclude an Irishman, or a Pro
testant, or poor man, from the enjoy
ment of the suffrage, but may not ex-
clude the Negro or the Mongolian.
CHINESE IMPORTATION.
I object to its adoption, because it
is part and parcel of scheme to food
the country with forced importation
of an immense number of Chinese
of coolies-and thus for a second time
to bring into our midst an alien race,
aed to repeat in moro difficult form
the social and governmental questions
which have SO unhappily divided our
people. .......
The opening of the Pacific Railroad,
the demand for labor at the South, the
desire for nimbler hands and less vora-
cious appetites in the factories, have
turned the attention of Spectators to
the teeming population of the EAST
they find these warm and fertile coun-
tries. densely crowded with. patient,
degraded and heathen race. =.
"Their skilled laborers get three ar
four dollars per month, and with this
they seem content. They work from
daylight to sunset, and have but a sin
gle holiday in the year. Their. food
consists of rice, salt, few vegetables
and sometimes fish, The plan pro-
posed is TO, bring immense numbers of
these people here to supply the demand
for labor i'll the fields, and the facto-
ries and The shops. We III Ohio have
not appreciated the Importance of this
movement.
/ protest against it now, in time,
before it is carried out t-beforc they
come among us-bcfore We are CON
frontcd with duties, and Obligations,
and interests growing out of their pres
enco. They are an alien, an inferior
an idolatrous race. They have not
our tastes, or habits, or manners, or
development, or religion. They are
not fit to become citizens, or to enjoy
the right of suffrage. AmalgamatioH
would injure both their race and ours.
Isolation will give rise to great trou-
bles. England, Ireland, Germany,
Norway, France have an oyerllowiHg
population of our own race, similar to
us in blood, in manners, in habits, and
in religious f;lith-an Industrious,
sturdy, sell-rcliant, sclfrrcspecting peo