The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1879-10-10

Stalwart Rhode Island.
Rhode Island l. staunch and stall
wart Republican State that has never
wavercd in is party fealiy for twenty
years. Under the Constitution Of hi.
model Republican Commonwealth -
naturalized citizen can exercise the SUI
frage unless he own, real estate clear II
debt 10 the value ~ Sl3l Al Toast. The
consequence Of this Know Nothing pro-
vision l. that the majority III the AAfu-
rallied citizens are robbed Of ihe IRAN
chi-e a na.uralixrd voter MAY have
double and treble the amount II the
property required bS this qualification.
but il none a II j. ii real rsia;. H. cam
no. vote. MANY cnirrani~ NJ not take
the trouble of becoming naiuralixcd. be-
cause naturalization doe> not confer IN
them the political rights vi which fh.y
set the most value. According 10 The
census taken in Rhode island in ls.5
there were $4,000 naiivr-hnrn iniab-
itanis ~ that state. who east $1,000
votes. or o:.c vote for every FIVE native
inhabitants There were 1l,ts-) ithab-
nants Of foreign birth. who east 3. stn
votes. or one vote for every thirteen or
fourteen fnrrign-l,un inhabitants.
Tie attention ~ naiItralixed citizens.
a. well ~ ~ al lovers ~ political equal
ily. cannot he called too often ID hi.
ubiquitous provision ~ ;his hra~ied Re-
publican State. Some sif tir testimony
taken hy Tho Wallace investigating
Committee practically Illustrates lis
character. Among the witnesses before
the committee We're TWO naturalixrl
citizens who volunteered III defense II
the Union AZ the outbreak al The ~rh.i-
lion Yet Rhode Island refuses the
right Of suffrage ~ these men. " ho
ri~sSed their lives for their country hc-
cause they % NOT possess the required
amount ~ real estate a Union ailirrr.
naiuralized German. brought with
him q Rhode Island. AT the close 81 the
war. freedman from the south whom
he had employed as "a servant. Tie
Union officer cannot vote because ~
does not possess certain amount ~
Rhode Island dirt. buf The MI ro can.
because no snch test Il made against
him. Il u applied ouly 10 the hated
foreigners. The Hon Thomas Davis,
of the city ~ Providence. went q Rhode
Island thiriN-fuur years ago. became
naturalixrd. ami Invested ILL., money II
real estate. II WIZ several times
chosen To the State Legislature. ana III
1873 I be repr. ~entrd Rhode Island in
Congress He afterwarl failed IN hu~i-
mes and delivered ~ his property 10
hi- creditors. The graN-hvadea Old man
who once helped u make laws for
Rhode Island a, well a. for the whole
country now finds himself robbed III
the suffrage.
Tor this nonSfr0u> provision the Re-
publican~ If Rhode Island are alone re-
spon~ible. The Democrats cverv year
make the demand for it, ahro-aiion IN
the State Convention. but the Republic
cans obstinaiely refuse 10 concetle 10
nafuralized citizens the rights which the
natives enjoy. The Republicans fear
that change in the Constitution admit
ting all citizens to equal political rights
viii destroy or greatly weaken their
power in the State. A Republican Leg
islature made pretcnsc Of c0nccding in
1870 by submitting an amendment to the
Constitution. hut the Republican poll
ticians took care that * did not receive
the necessary three-iifths majority II
ttiN ''e'> - titt ltvRtr Va tatt N'tdtt.
Thus the naturalized citizens Of Rhode
Island who do not possess the requisite
amount Of real property remain dis
franchsed TO this day. The sovereign
State Of Rhode Island in the exercise Of
its power maintains this grossly par
tial and unjust distinction between ma
tive-born and naturalized citizens.
Rhode Island has the undoubted right
to put such tests and qualifications to
the enjoyment of the suffrage as she
plcases, within the limits Of the Con-
stitution Of the United States. The
peculiar injustice Of this provision con-
sists in the distinction which it makes
against naturalized citizens. The
regulation Of the suffrage is a matter
which belongs 10 the States. and Rhode
Island cannot be restrained in the ex-
ercise Of this unjust power except
through an amendment Of the Con-
stitution Of the United States. AS
long as the spirit Of know-Nothing-
ism prevails among the Republicans Of
Rhode Island an amendment Of the
State Constitution j. out Of the ques-
ton. II i well to hold mp this model
Republican State frequently for the
serious consideration II naturalizcd
citizens Harrisburg (Pa.) Patriot.
800