The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-09-02
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ROCK rsLAxD, .rEIrnors
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In these Srates residence is superaddec
By State authority as qualification a
| voting for all officers, State as well a,
Federal. In Massachusetts two years. i
PENNSYLVANIA thirty days. and In New
YorkIten days are added by State author.
Il Lsy TO the qualification of five years; and i
Rhode Island ownership of real estate
must DO in the naturalized foreigner before
he is q voter,
The differences are founded in the pslicy
or the respective States, but there Is mel
one OF them in which payment of taxes
length ofresidence or educational aualifi-
cations are not imposed alike upon the
native and foreign born citizens. save the
case OF Rhode Island, and it's property
qualification.
| The vice of the system, and the wrong
to the general welfare. consists 10 its ir,~
equaiity~in its deliberate disfranchisement
OF foreign born citizens by rule which
permits so gross Discrimination as is
demonstrated by the proof taken by your
e1mmittee. f 81
The many efforts which have been made
to amend the constitution of the State ia
TINS respect have always failed, merely
because OF provisions of the existing con4
stltution on the subjects OF amendments
thereof The amendments must be pros
posed and adopted by the general assem-
Oily then published with the names of the
member voting for and against the same.
tnen approved by the succeeding general
assembly; then, If approved, submitted to
the people for ratification and adopted.
which requires not majority, but three
nftns OF those voting for their valid adopt
ion,
In 1864 an amendment granting to nat
urailzed citizens who have been In the mil
ifary service OF the United States and
honorably discharged the right to vote
without the property qualification. was
submitted to the people; alta voted for |
IL and !, 578 against il. IL was rejected. |
although majority voted for it, Again, |
In 1916, like amendment was proposed |
and rejected for want of three-ifths.
although majority voted for it. The vote /
stood 11.O38 for and 10 $50 against il. |
This vote was taken at the presidential |
election, and the number voting afirma-
lively was much greater than the vote
polled for the 1ilden electors.
I our committee is decided in its convie-
ton that this Discrimination by the consti-
tuition of Rhode Island against foreign
born citizens is unjust, unwise, and anti
republican. 1t is in direct antagonism to
the great principle of equality before the
aW. as well as OF the central idea of a
Democratic republic, IL 10 all the people
Who rule and ought to rule, and not an +
or favored few. NATIVITY. I,
freed, or property ought not to be made
he ground of discrimination against the
'ltizen when once he has taken upon him |
'eit the duties of citize nship, and many of
he cases disclosed In this testimony are. Il
q our view, peculiarly hard 10 their effect
ipon the foreign born soldier; bat we are
equally decided that tae only remedy
or the wrong to the citizen is With
he State, by an amendment of it's consti-
ution. or by an amendment of the Con
Ititution of the United States. The State
nay be made to suffer the decrease of its
representation In Congress as penalty for
he deprivation of the right TO her c:tizens
lnder the provision of the 18th amendment
It the Constitution of the United States:
,ut this does not give Ii ballot to the
itizen.
!. The average vote to the Congressional !
district in Rhode Island of the combined !
Democrat and Republican candidates was
My 3. 3Sl 10 1874. whilst in the real ainder
/ New England it was 20.350 10 the
CONGRESSIONAL district; aud while Conpee-I
cut IN the Presidential contest poI,sd
O'5a9 votes 10 each Of her Gop2ressiional
isifiets, Rhode Island polled but lS3i3I
otes to choose Congressman
In the thirteen Southern States, exclu-
i've OF Alabama and Texas, the average Q
1tal vote IN each Congressional district in
S74 was 20, 404, whilst ia Rhode Islana it
as 8, 38I.