The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-05-20

The Republican leaders manifest a
great deal of anxiety for fair and hon.
est elections, and declare their deter
mination to labor to secure that end
and until every American citizen, with
out regard to- race or color, whether
native or naturalized shall be enabled
to cast one and but one vote at every
election without being Influenced by
fear and unbribed by the hope of Pc
cuniary reward. These are fair pro.
fessions, but they are also delusiye and
hypocritical as isthe report of the SEN
ate select committee to inquire into the
electoral frauds abundantly demon
strate, if any such proof was needed.
The State of Rhode Island has been
under Republican control always, and
if it were the desire of the leaders OF
that party that the privilege OF voting
should be enjoyed by all, they have
had ample opportunity to carry ont
that desire there ;4and, yet it is shown
that thousands of citizens in that State
are deprived of the franchise for the
simple, sole reason that they are OF
foreign birth. "A republican form ol
government is denied to her people,
and year after year they are openly
defying the Fundamental law of the
land. And this is done by the party
that Is constantly setting up the hypo.
critical howl that they are the only
men in the country in, favor of 'fiair
and honest elections" We give below
q portion of the report, ,.-,..,-,,
The injustice of the registry law lie
also fully shown by the evidence tax.
en-, q native born citizen who may not
own real estate being compelled to
personally register and pay his taxes
ten months before the general elec-
ton or lose his vote. Ii registry taxes
for one year are not paid the Consti-
tuition fOrbids the vote until the ar.
rears for two years are. paid up. Is
this the explanation of the fac, proved
in this testimony, that of 42.74 voters
shown by the census Of 1875 10 be in
the State and qualified to vote, but
26,627 actually did vote in the holly
contested Presidential election ofIS76
Ii, la voters or about three-eights OF
the whole voting population, actually
abstained from voting, IL these figures
be true. No such percentage of non-
voters is found anywhere, either North
or South, in that election. In the great
central belt OF States North over nine.
ty per cent. of the whole vote therein
was polled at that election, whilst in
Rhode Island about sixty-two per
cent. finds its way to the polls. II the
voters are there this fact is q pregnant
one on its bearing upon the election
laws and their administration in the
State. Witnesses testify that a minor.
ity of her people has ruled Rhode Is
land for more than fifteen years, past
and that the opposition to the exten.
sion of suffrage came mainly from
those now in power, who fear the loss
of place that would follow. Esd3ga,s
The committee expresses the, ;epin-
ion that there are good grounds fOl
the complaint that the government oi
Rhode Island is nearer an oligarchy
than a sdemocracy. The report denies
the right of the State to make such
discrimination in the matter of .spf.
frage and claims that it is not entitled
to more than one Representative in
Congress, and, consequently, but three
members ,lof the Electoral College
The committee recommed the passage
of an act to provide for such an emu
meration of persons in the tenth cen
sus as will clearly designate the basis
of representation required to be made
under the fourteenth amendment.