The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-06-28

the bill.
The revival and adoption OF the defunct
Know Nothing issue by the Republicans is
noteworthy sign of the times. II betokens
consciousness that the negro agitation has
spent its force That Dagon Of the Philis-
tines has fallen in the temple of its worship
pers, and they are constrained to call on some
other god for help. They have succeeded in
introducing seven hundred thousand black
voters into the body polite; but those black
voters are concentrated in minority of the
States, and are intermingled with an intelli-
gent white population always remarkable for
political activity and skill, who are likely to
gain over the negro mind the ascendancy
which knowledge exerts over ignorance,
property over indigence, employer
over employed, neighbors over neighbors,
and social standing over an inferior caste.
The Republicans can no longer put their
political trust in the negro; and as something
must be done to retrieve the falling fortunes
of their party, they can hit upon nothing
better than resuscitation of the old hostility
to the rights of naturalized citizens. AS the
great State of New York seems more hope
lessly lost to the Republicans than any other
State in the Union, the Naturalization bill is
more Immediately directed against the De-
mocracy of this State. Mr.. Davis, one of
our Republican Representatives, is its author,
Senators, takes charge of it in the Senate.
If this Know Nothing bill is to pass, we
hope it will pass n0D. Time enough will
elapse before the Presidential election to
amend our State constitution, if the radicals
pass it at this session; and with the indigna-
ton it will arouse among our immigrant
population it will be easy to carry an
smendment placing them on the same
liberal footing upon which they have
oluauc OF IL, Of tba
ern States. If the radical Know-Noth-
ing Congress force us to take such a
step, we can easily open the door to all bona
fde residents, whether naturaized or not
and permit them to vote without naturaliza-
ton papers. In the West, immigrants vote
the same terms as natives and if New
York should adopt the same rule, our
Irish and German inhabitants would vote
after one years residence, instead of the
five years now required. The Republicans
are introducing game which two can play
at, and the winning cards are in the hands eff
the Democrats. The Know Nothings in Con-
gress make great blunder in assuming that
naturalization is a necessary prerequisite to
voting in the face of long settled practice
to the contrary in several States. Any State
that chooses can adopt the same liberal prac-
tice by simple amendment to its constitu-
ton.
The Know-Nothing Naturalization bill is
also blunder on the part of the Republicans
who are pressing it, in another respect. 1t
will consolidate the whole naturalized vote in
favor of the Democratic party. The war has
shaken the control of the party over the for
eign voters, and nothing could be better cal
culated to recover it than the adoption of the
old Know Nothing issue by the Republicans
The whole body of foregn-born citizens will
stand by the Democratic party and give us
their Jealous support in defending their
rights and frustrating Federal oppression by
counteracting State enactments. Whether
the new naturalization bill passes or fails it
equally discloses the hostile animus of the
Republican party towards our adopted citi-
zens. They are reasonably jealous of their
rights, and will need no persuasion to throw
their influence on the side of their tried and
steadfast friends.