Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-08-28
A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF
THE EVIDENCE.

A COMPREH ENSlNE REVIEW OF
THE EVIDENCE.
ALIENS AND PooR MEN HAVE no POLITICAL
RIGHTS IN RHODE ISLAND.
The subcommittee of the United
States Senate. which has been sitting at
Providence, X. l., consists of Senators
Wallace, Mcdonald, Platt, and Blair.
They are acting under Blaines resolu.
ton of December, 1878, creating the
Teller committee, which directed 1t to
inquire whether the right of suffrage
was denied or abridged in any state"
and whether it is within the compe.
tency ofCongress to provide by addition.
al legislation for the more perfect secur.
ity OF the right OF suffrage to citizens of
the United States in all the states"
The committee has now finished its
investigation in Rhode Island and the
result of its labors are as follows:
The constitution of Rhode Island
contains a clanse which disqualifes for.
~eigh.born naturalized citizens from
voting unless theys own $l3i worth of
real estate clear of incumbrance. The
registry laws of the State do not allow
foreigners TO register without owning
not register, but native born citizens
and negroes who do not own property
which is taxed 81 and upwards must
register and pay 81 tax before they can
vote. At the State census of 1875 the
native'born population was 100000 ma.
tlve-born voters, 81 900, or one in every
five. The population of ioreign.born
was I goo; foreign. born voters quail.
fed to vote by owning real estate, $500,
or
ONE IN EVERY FOURTEEN.
Thomas Darcy-A naturalized citi.
zen, voter now; for ten years after be.
ing naturalized could not vote for want
of owning land. Foreigners do not nat
uralize because they can't vote.
Colonel James Moran Lived here
twenty-eIght years; foreigner; natural
lied; entered service of United States
from Rhode Island under promises
made by the State officials that foreign.
ers who went into the service could vote
when they came back; commissioned
as second-lieutenant; promoted to cap.
xtaincy; served three years; honorably
discharged; held an election for off.
cials in Rhode Island in his company
in the army but could not vote himself:
was q voter once because he owned real
estate; has lost it and cannot vote now;
been colonel in militia, and notary. pub.
lie; majority OF the operatives in the
mills are foreigners; are changed about
and can't save money to buy homes.
William II. Joyce-Foreigner natu.
ralized; cannot vote; own no real estate;
entered United States service in 1861,
at first call; promoted from private to
major; served honorably the whole war;
am Republican in politics; two-thirds
of foreign-born population cannot vote,
because they own no real estate.
John N. Dutfy-Went into service in
United State army for Rhode Island in
1861; promoted from colonel sergeant
to brevet lieutenant colonel; served the
whole war, drawing a pension OF $l5
per month for disability, but can't vote,
because own no real estate; no real es.
tate required for negroes to vote.
John II. Observation-Disclosures; a
printer; never naturalized because he
could not save money enough to buy a
. house or land to vote on; served
through the war in the Third Rhode Is.
land Artillery.
Henry F. Rogers-The city OF Provi.
dence, under law, took the property Of
forty.three citizens for public purposes;
they were mostly foreign. born; many OF
them
LOST THEIR VOTES by THIS,
and were not paid for their property
until long afterwards.
A. y. Trudean-Born in Quebec; nat
uralized and a voter in Massachusetts,:
can't vote in Rhode Island for want Of
ownership Of land; jeweler.
William Won Gottschalk, NJ. D.-Ger.
man; naturalized, but never voted;
think the qualification required de-
grading one; nearly all the Germans
here are disqualified for want Of land;
think 1900 or 10000 naturalized citi.
Gems in Providence are prevented from
voting by this restriction; Republicans
control the State and could amend the
constitution if they would.
Charles ii. Page-Connected with and
! n candidate of the Democratic party:
been in nearly every Democratic State
convention for fifteen years; in three.
fourths of them plsnks have been pass
cd favoring giving suffrage TO natural
lied citizens on the same terms az to
native-born voters; the Democratic
party would be benefited by it and the
Republicans would go out OF power
here. hence they will not agree 10 it.
The Hon. Thomas Dayis-Live in
Providence; foreigner; naturalized for.
ty.five years ago; seventy.five years old;
a manufacturing jeweler; been in both
branches of the Legislature . number
OF times; member of Congress from
HI n n
real estate; ! am not now a qualified
voter; failed in business and the title
! TO my property passed to my assignees,
and ] cannot now vote; colored men
now vote here like native-born whites,
while every foreign-born citizen Is ex-
cluded unless he owns real estate; the
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