Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-11-11
The Di.irancbised iabGriug Wen 81
hA9ue Island.

The condition OF affairs Ia Rhode
Island, described ia a letter TO the Boston
yHeraM reprinted In this weeks
JOURNAL, is remarkable Que to have ever
existed In this country, hut 1t Is even more
remarkable al existing now, after such
extensive additions 10 the rnmher OF
voters have been made 10y federal action |
and by the political party which retaina
it's hold on Rhode Island by the exclusion
OF nearly two-lhirds its white male citizens
from the ballot box. We wonder that tie
psople who profess 10 believe that
suffrage is an iuherept right have
not been olamoring long before this That
Rhode Island be taken in hand as State
without "a republican form OF govern
''ment,n such as the Federal constitution
guarantees TO every state. We mag be
assured that il the present exclusion OF
vast majority of its people from all par
ticipation in its government had placed
the State in the hands of the Democrats
that such a demand would have been
made.
Of course the JOURNAL is estopped
by its own belief from making any such
demand for the righting of this wrong
1t believes in strict construction of the
constitution, and as Rhode Island had
Just such a form OF government when the
federal constitution was adopted as it now
has, and as that was regarded at the time
of forming the compact as government
republican in form, we deny that any
new Interpretation of the phrase now can
Justify federal interference in the affairs
of the State other than would be possible
through reducing the plumber of repre-
sentatives in Congress allowed it.
But, because we deny the right of the
Federal Government to step in and give
the people of Rhode Island really free
and popular government, we do not deny
that there is remedy for the wrong suf-
fered by the majority of the people there.
They are most outrageousy wronged, and
they ought to take the work of remedying
it into their own hands. No minority can
permanently rule state without the con
sent, express or implied, of the majority.
That consent may be reluctant and
forced one; but, even submission is con
sent, and the only way to stop such con
sent is to cease TO submit. The distran
chised voters of Rhode Island ought
to combine TO demand their rights
They should refuse to maintain any
sort of relations with any voters wht
insult them by continuing to assist in thei
Acknowledgement They should deman'
their rights without ceasing, and lay asid
all other public concerns till they fore
attention to their demands and, failing il
all this, they should make their cloic
between leaving the Slate in body o
trying by irregular means TO force tn
adoption OF new State constitution
They have "a natural right to this, an
one generation cannot permanently tie Ia
hands of succeeding generations so as /
prevent it from having a voice in declarin
what its fundamental law and form {
government shall be. But we do NJ
imagine it would ever come to this. n
minority dare face an angry majoriI
demanding its manifest rights, and dete
mined to have them.
There are plenty of ways besides reyol,
ton by which such majority can mal
itself felt. 1t of course embraces the gree
body of the working people of the Stat
and the reasonable presumption is tn
outside of the comparatively few gre
employers, the bulk of the property
which men are entitled to vote there is
the hands of the mercantile class al
middle men who are absolutely depende
for their living on the working men. I'll
latter can bring these to terms We
quickly, and ought to do SO. To Car
business, ordinarily, into politics is
foolish and unnecessary thing. Amor
voters each has right to believe whit
ever he does believe and it is not t
privilege or duty of any other man
attempt to intlict some sort of punishme
on him for his belief. But this is not t
condition OF affairs in Rhode islam
Over fifty thousand American citizens o
there governed as absolutely by less tn
thirty thousand other American citizens
the majority of Russians are governed
the Gar. 1t is quite likely the thi,
thousand give the fifty thousand bet
government than the Gar gives his 81
jects, but that is entirely as they choo
and the fifty thousand have no way
preventing them from giving them
worse form of government 1t is thereto
no such struggle between equal citizens
we have elsewhere, but struggle betwe
the oppressed and their oppressors.
In such struggle no considerations
those of expediency forbid the oppresi
from resorting to force, and the fact Il
this would not be expedient in Rho
Island leaves the DISTINGUISHED majority
its people free to try any other metht
within the law. They are under b
and the people who are in possession
the State government insult them by
declaration that they are act entitled
the very right which by adopting the |
teenth amendment they declared the ig
rant negroes of the South entitled to- \
are not bound 10 stand this, nor to treat "
courtesy or consideration the people =
thus wrong and insult them and he
they are entirely at liberty to rssor
measures which would be grossly
proper Il they were on an equality in
matter Of suffrage with those they al
from. II the majority or the people
Rhode Island have any pluck aud are ii
be free, they will find the way to acql
the right to voice in their own COVE
ment without any act that would ems
the present government to call fed
assistance to its support,
The New York police statistics 81
that of the burglars arrested in three "
AL were native Americans, - were L
and 20 Germans. In assault and bate
cruelty to animals disorderly conduct
even vsgrancy the Americans lead all oil
nstionalities combined but in getting dr.
the Irish can give anybody Odds and