The Hillsborough recorder., 1875-10-13
a MOST IMPORTANT ORDINANCE.

H The Raleigh News says. the committee
on Suffrage aud Eligibility or Tuesday sub
nitted an ordinance which will meet the un-
qualified approval. in one Of its braushes.
VI every honest imam iu the State, aud in
the other is open TO not solitary objection
70 those who regard the purity Of the bal
lot The first provides that no person who
upon conyictioh. or confession shall here
after be adjudged guilty Of felony shall be
eiititien y saia at any election under the
lawsof this Statei unless such persUi siiaii
be restored to the rights Of citizenship in u
mode prescribed by law
The right of suffrage is one Of the high
est privileges exercised by the freeman. Il
is bis right to participate 10 all the affairs
Of government, to direct oil It's operations.
to regulate the imposition Of taxes, to ar
bitrute upon the lives aud property Of bis
fellow-oitiaens. Its right emiuently ia
the power Of society to bestow- equally ii
its power to regulate or withdraw. With
its high privileges and powers, it il evident
that il should be committed only to the
charge Of the honest and the Intelligent.
But the American system has been exceed
ingly liberal aud has exacted no qualification
except that OF residence and freedom from
the s:igmas imposed By conviction forcrime.
But the radical constitution Of 1868. in
its eageruess to bid fo- popularity Or to EN-.
brace in the fold Of the radical party a
class more than all open to the operations
Of the criminal law. removed all ubstruc-
tions and gave to all. the honest mau and
The felon alike. this sacrsd right.
The ballot is polluted BY the presence
ut the polls VI the convict fresh from the
PeDiten,iary. ready to entel upon new
career Of crime; Of the prisoner from the
county Jail. his limbs still seated with the
mark OF bis chains. Side by side. virtue
aud crime, we'll earned right. aud justly
forfeited privileges contend for the regula-
tivn Of the affairs Of State. the vote of,his
latter often defeating the will Of the other.
The bill, of course, meets with opposi-
tion from the Radical side Of the House.
II strikes att class which is most prolific in
its contributions TO the annals Of justice.
Il Is contenled that slavery Is response
bic for the es;.-;a-lisy az the neprn Ii is
tnen admitted that the negro is criminal
from education, or want Of il. IL 30. does
his guilt. though due to bis misfortune,
give him claim, which under the old con-
stitution, and in the States north OF us. was
denied to the white mani Is the negro
criminal more the object of indulgence than
was the white one? But it wss eouteuded
that while slavery was the emother Of crime,
emancipation would at Ouce work the re-
generation Of the slave. The negro has
now been bis own master for ten years. lie
has had all the advantages Of education
possessed by the white. lie has been un-
der the stricte.t political iutelage lie has
been led. caresscd. counselld BY his white
friends, IS never people was before. l.
he better from being his own master? Let
the records Of the Peniicntiary. and ofthe
county prisons answer the question.
Aud il is 10 elevate again the value Of
suffrage BY making lis possession tho right
Of honesty and its deprivation the penalty
u crime that it issupposed some check
may be given to crime BY drawing an in
efFacable distinction between vice aud yir-
tue. A law. too. applicable to the white
as we'll as the black, aud therefore impair.
,ial and open to no just complaint. twill
be the fault alone of the black II, III 4
comparison Of crime, thus prepoudsrance
shall be with his race.