The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1870-02-22
Radical Hostility 10 EOreianerS--
:" 8ti t0rPrcyent Standardization.

ias resulted in giving the right to vote
md hold office to the. lowest and most
degraded hunan creatures in our coun-
fry These same Radicals have persist
'ntiv clamorel that the extension Of the
right of suffrage was purely democratic,
and that in uf!aal it thcy were better
Democrats than the Democrats them
Sc YES.
In vain have the Democrats affirmed
that this scheme OF cxtcnling suffrage
was urged by the Radicals solely because
the naw voters wauld aid the Radical
party. The Radicals only proclaim ID
the louder that they favored the cxtcn-
sion as principle, without regard to
partisan advantage,
Now in the very teeth Of these iccla-
raitons, while Their loud asseverations'a
still echoing through the country they
propose to pass law restricting this
same sSnated democratic principle, solely
bee tllsc majority OF those to he exclu-
ded would not ass st them if allowed to
vote. This proposed law will make nat
uralization extremely difficult to all and
to many utterly impossible.
1t is not mere isolated member who
this measure; but il is the de-
liberate scheme of the Radical majority
of the Judiciary Committee of the House
of Representatives; and the introduction
Of a bin BY that Committee gives it, by
that very fact. inore than even chances
for passing.
The following is summary of the
bill:
proceedings for naturalization must
be taken before the United States circuit
or district courts, or, where there are
not more than two terms annually of
these, before the United States court of
Jurisdiction of the State. As the
first step, the applicant must file with the
clerk of the court notice of intention
to become citizen, which notice shall
state full particulars of birth, parentage,
residence, arrival in the country, &c, ,and
he must give the names of two citizens
who know him personally. The notice
is to be filed, but open for inspection or
copying. After four years subsequent
continuous residence in the United States,
he may apply to one of the courts named
for admission to citizenship, at least
twenty days before the term or session
thereof. He must have lived i'll the State
for the previous six months, and in the
district, county or parish in which the
application is made for thirty days. And
he must produce one or more credible
citizens who can testify to all the fore
going particulars, as also to his moral
character and fitness generally for adj
mission. Any citizen may produce op-
posing evidence. If the court is salts
fed in the applicants favor, it will give
him o certificate of naturalization. to
take effect six months thereafter, and so
stating"
One of the half concealed iniquitics
Of this bill is that it invalidates all
'.first papers which have been here
tofore granted, and upon which final
certificates have not been issued; thus
the applicant who is now
within one month of getting his "final
papers, to begin the whole process
anew,and un lergo another four years six
months and twenty days prot alton.
So the first effect of the bill, if passed,
will be, that from the date Of its passage
no man can be naturalized anywhere in
the United States, under any circumstan-
ces, or in any court for period of four
years and half. The object of this is
clearly and unquestionably to prevent the
Democratic party from receiving any
further accessions from this source be-
fore the next presidential election.
Another iniquity, and a greater one be-
cause of its more general operation is, that
all applications for " first papers" must be
made in United States Court, of which
there are but two in Ohio, one in Cncin-
natl and one in Cleveland. The "final
papers" can be granted only in term
time, and these Courts hold but two ses-
sions year, each.
Now let us follow foreign born resi-
dent of Monroe County in his efforts to
secure privileges equal to those of a cot
ton.ficld Negro.
In the first place he must employ o
skillful draughtsman to prepare an APP
plication with the same care as to details
that he would prepare an Indictment
This application he must, by trip to
or by procuring some one to
do it for him, have placed on the files of
the Federal Court. He must then sit
quietly down and wait four years; anu.
sing himself in the meantime, il he
chooses, by watching the Negroes vote.
lie must then make formal application
for citizenship, either by another trip to
Cincinnati, or by focing another agent.
This application must be made at least
twenty days before the beginning of the
term of Court to which he applies.
When the term commences he must
20 to Cincinnati in person and take with
him one or moro witnesses whose ex-
penses and wages must be paid by the
applicant.
lie must then pay the boarding OF
himself and witnesses until such time as
a Radical Judge may be at leisure tc
hear his case. Whether this will be in q