Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-05-13

Vi iofot the tcStitnOtsy SHOWS tDat IL was
made a party question at the polls.
witnesses testify that n minority OF
her people has ruled Rhode Island for
more than fifteen years past, and that
the opposition to the extension of suf.
irage came mainly from those now in
power, who fear the loss of place that
would follow.
Your committee believe that there
are good grounds for the complaints
made, that the government of Rhode
Island, under its present constitution,
is nearer an oligarchy than democracy.
The Acknowledgement of so large a per.
centage OF her people, by systematic eff.
fort and rigidly enforced statutes, the
small vote cast for president at hotly
contested election, the small number OF
votes cast for members of Congress in
four successive elections, when contrast.
ed with the number cast in other States
in the same elections, the choice of
members of Congress, governors and
presidents by the votes of one out of
every twenty of the people. whilst other
States cast one for every five Of theirs,
the maintenance of the rule Of three
fiiths for the amendment of her consti
tuition, by which the will of the MAORI.
ty has been twice defeated, all compel
us TO recognize Rhode Island as differ.
ent in her government, her constitu.
tions, and her policy from all her sitter
commonwealths in the Union, and lead
us to grasp at any provision Of the Fed
eral Constitution which, fairly constru.
ed, will grant us power to enforce, for
her people, "a republican form of gov.
ernment," by which we mean govern.
ment by the whole people, for the
whole people of the State.
II WAS urged upon your committee
with great learning and logic, that these
provisions OF the constitution and laws,
with the practice under them we're in
effect an oligarchical government, and
not one of republican form, and that
under article 1, section 1, of the Consti
tuition of the United States, IL was the
duty Of Congress TO so legslate, as to
compel a change in the rule of suffrage
by the State, which would cause its
people TO have equal privileges with
those OF other States.
1t is undoubtedly true, that this au.
thority given TO the Federal govern
ment supposcs and recognizes a pre-
existing government of the form which
is to be guaranteed, and that the form
must be substantially republican. A
State cannot change republican for an
aristocratic or monarchical form Of gov.
ernment, but ii may substitute another
republican form for that which existed
at its admission TO the Union, and the
clause OF guaranty to the United States,
is applicable to the latter as il was 10
the former. As her charter stood when
Rhode Island entered the Union, no
one could be voter without owning
real estate or being the eldest son OF
such real estate owner. This rule ap.
piled equally to native and foreign born
citizens. by her constitution of 1912,
she has enlarged the right as TO native
citizens, and restricted il as TO those Of
foreign birth. The change is one which
gives rise to inequality in the exercise
of the right as between different classes
Of citizens, but widens the field in its
general scope. The practice Under the
committee, is vicious aud demoralyzing,
added right, in the opinion OF your
and the discrimination against foreign.
born citizens is anti.republican in its
character, but the form Of the govern.
ment Of Rhode Island is still republi.
can, and cannot be interfered with by
| LHs Out VI the
right and power of the State TO regulate
the rule OF suffrage, as il affects presi.
dental electors and members OF Con.
gress. This power and right under the
Constitution of the United States is
with the States and not under the con.
troll OF Congress. The Federal system
bases its very existence upon the rights
of the States to regulate the rule OF suf.
frage.
The existence of the Federal govern.
ment depends upon the existence Of
the State governments. Without exist
ing in their entirety it absolutely falls
into chaos. 1t cannot continue itself
for an hour hour. There are three great
parts of the Federal-the legislative, the
executive, and the judicial. The legis.
lative has two branches--the House and
the Senate. There can be no House Of
Representatives of the United States
after the State governments have end.
ed. The governments of the States
must exist or the popular branch Of
Congress fails to exist. This is as Ger.
tain as IL Is that there Is Constitution
of the United States. In the Constitu
: ton OF the United States the regulation
as to suffrage is in these words:
The House of Representatives shall be
composed Of members chosen every second
year - the people Of the several States,
and the electors in each State shall hare the
qualifications requisite for electors Of the
most numerous branch Of he State Lsgisia-
fUres.
The electors for the House of Repre-.
sentatives OF the United States are those
who are qualified electors for the legis
latures of the States. Qualified how {?
Qualified by whom2 Qualified by the
Federal government No; but quail.
fled by the States. The electors for the
members of the Legislatures of the
States are the electors for members of
the House of Represen tatives, and they
are to be qualified by and under the
constitutions OF the States. II you have