The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-02-28

reality and its memory be only thing in
history.
take the same position that many of our
/ intelligent, foreign born citizens take, and
there are thousands of them who Will vote
| to sustain IT, that is. admit no foreigner TO
/ the elective franchise unless he has some
| fitness to exercise il.
Asa citizen is disfranchised for crime. so
I admit no man to be enfranchised who has
/ been convicted of crime until he be fully
naturalized. As the United States requires
/ five years residence and two years previous
( declaration of Intention and proof of good
| character, let the states require longer resi-
dence than one year and proof of good char
acter before admitting 10 vote. and the APP
! plicant'S own evidence-at least-that he
has not been convicted of crime.
Ny position in the senate was this: / adj
vocated an amendment to the constitution
| that foreign born residents must be white
men 1--WE have enough colored men of our
OWN; must reside in the United States two
wears and in the state one year; must declare
| their intention to become q citizen, and
swear that they had mot been convicted of
crime when they made their declaration of
| intention This was the head and front Of
my offending and the man who says more
simply states what is false. By this position
| abide
The slums of foreign cities are being
empted upon us; fugitives from justice
l
come by hundreds; the lazzarOni of Italy
swarm in our seabOard cities and the Swede
and the Dane (who always vote for the party
in power as a rule, regardless of fitness OF
men or measures) are counted by thousands.
While there are vast numbers who make
good citizens SO far as sobriety and industry
go, they can afford to wait two years for all
the rights men have who are born here and
who have spent their lives in building up
and supporting a government where the
aliens find liberty and protection when they
first land; aliens who own no property here
pay no taxes, do no military duty, serve no
master, etc, can on two years probation be
admitted to equality with all privileges and
powers which life long resident has, by
making a declaration OF intention and
assertion that they have not been convicted
of crime Two years probation is a small
price to pay for so valuable right. No other
nation grants It.
Now ask no man or party TO be bound
by my opinion or action or assertion; but
the man who, as legislator, is called upon
to use his Judgment in a matter of vital i'm
port to the state and the nation and will
not advocate what he honestly believes is
right, regardless of party or popular preju-
dice or personal considerations, is unbt for
his place. is a coward in Office and aids in
hiding truth and enables fallacy to triumph
for the time being. At least such Is my
opinion and by my own judgment l must
be guided No man should be condemned for
an honest expression of opinion; and when
il is founded on and supported by incontro-
vertible fact he can not be condemned by
those who regard facts.
/ should ask no hearing, Mr. Editor, for
myself; care nothing for misrepresenta
ton. When the truth is discovered it
should be given to the world and leave it to
work its own way. He who fears the truth
lacks the true courage that belongs to the
high minded citizen. The trite adage that
1.-The truth should not be spoken at all
times has no application here.
But" il is said, lit will inlure the par
tv." What really said was all right in
theory, and is needed in practice, but it is
misrepresented and will injure the party.
A party which can not bear the searching
light of truth can accomplish no good or
permanent results A party which can not
so live, declare and act, as To rise superior to
detractiOn and the misrepresentation OF its
enemies. or its cowardly friends, can not be
hurt, for it has not the vitality which adj
mits OF injury. The republican party lead
ers are afraid of truth and through the
cowardice OF democrats have succeeded in
making concealment available for apparent
and temporary triumph, but it is barren
victory The very fruits of cOncealment will
breed incurable pestilence in that party.
Its organization will be consumed in the
fires which will be famed 10 flame by the
very truth they have sought to conceal.
The very life blood of the democ-
racy has been adherence to truth
Its vitality and virility have
been the outgrowth Of the principles
of its great founder. Thomas Jefferson. He
gave us the test for official preferment. lis
he honest, is he capable?' He told US to
guard the elective franchise and hold high
the pride aud dignity of citizenship; and
through long, useful and patriotic life set
us a daily example. He concealed no truth
for fear il would ''injure the party" When
Tilden hurled the corrupt democratic judges
from the bench in New York; when he and
O'ConOr broke down the Tweed cons tracy;
when he made the Syracuse convention give
him a republican comptroller 20 enable him
to crush the thieving canal ring; when he
procured RObinsOn's nomination for COVER
nor he did not stop 10 ask "Willltinlure the
party?" He only said, ut is right; these ends
are necessary and these means are necessary
to that end
From Abel to Moses, from Moses to Christ.
from Christ to the innovators of to-day, the
same cry has been raised; all pioneers have
been condemned as fanatics, and the least
said was that they were indiscreet Even
Daniel Boone, Lewis and Clark, and Father
Hennepin were called indiscrret; so were
Washington and Putnam and Wayne; so
has every man been who stepped boldly out
and declared what he believed To be right
and sought to make it practical. The pio-
neer. generally. is sacrificed; but he can af-
ford TO be; because. but for him there would
be no progress, and civilization would retro
grade to barbarism.
The democratic party has not been and
can not be injured by the truth, and is
above injury from Misrepresentation of any
of its members
The citizen who desires to fraternize with
the semi barbarian of the old world and ask
or admit him to aid in government here,
let him advocate il. want only the pro
gressive white race when admit foreigners
to the high and priceless rights of American
citizenship
Let him who desires to open his doors