The daily gazette., 1880-05-07

SELECT COMMITTEE.
WASHINGTON, May 5, 1880.
Mr.. Wallace, in behalf of the ma
jority of the Senate Select Com
mittee on Frauds in the late cleo
tians, &C., to-day submitted a report
concerning the abridgment of suf-
frage of United States citizens of the
State of Rhode Island. The report
begins by quoting the fourteenth
constitutional amendment, which de-
clares that all persons born or
naturalized in the United States and
subject to the jurisdiction thereof are
citizens of the United States and of
the State wherein they reside, and
provides that when the right of suf-
frage is denied by any State its rep
resentation in Congress shall be pro-
portionately reduced. Under the
last apportionment Rhode Island
was given two Representatives for
population las returned by the CEN
sus of lS70) of 2l9, 1858. The report
next quotes the Rhode Island consti-
tuition and laws prescribing the quail
itications of voters, and states that
under them discrimination is made
and one class of citizens (naturalized)
are required to possess a qualiiica-
ton that is not required of native
born citizens, and that this additional
qualification amounts to disfranchise-
ment.
The additional qualification re-
quired by the constitution is the
possession of roal estate of the value
of Sl34 over and above all encum-
brances, or which yields net rental
of at least 81 per annum.
EXTENT OF DIsFRANCHIsEMENr.
The committee report that they have
taken a large amount Of testimony with
view of ascertaining "to what extent
this disfranchisemen of foreign born
cltizenshas been carrled'in Rhode Island,
aul that The estimates of the various wit
tlesses ranged from three thousand to
twenty-five thousand The committee,
however, supplement this testimony by
an analysis of the State census of 1875
and a comparison OF the populations and
the numbers of voters in Rhode Island
and Massachusetts,, from which they
arrive at the Conclusion that appl, ing
the rule provided in the Fourteenth
amendment to the statement of facts
| would reduce the republican votes Of
| Rhode Island under The census of 1915
IN round numbers over IL, 200. This
| comparison with Massachusetts, they
say, is more favorable to Rhode Island
| than if made with any other State, ,owins
to the educational qualification there
existing. 1t is also found that if the
census of 1870 be taken as the basis and
the same rule be be applied, the repre-
sented population of Rhode Island would
be reduced from 1883 to about l9U,-
| 900, and to much less number wheI
compared with other States where there
are no other qualifications than residence
and citizenship of the United States.
These figures relate to the number OF
,Itizens denied the privilege of voting
because Of their nativity or by reason of
restrictive registry laas.
IMPORTANT RESULTS.
The committee add -
The Importance Of this question may
be further evident when we recollect
| that the vote of the electoral College
| IS based upon the represent alton OF the
States in the Senate and House of Rep
esentatives. From the figures given
by witnesses brought before the COM
mittee it is possible that under the
fourteenth amendment and the act of
1872 Rhode Island might rlghtfully
have been deprived of one Represen-
tative in the House Of Representatives
Of the Forty Fourth Congress, and that
her additional vote in the the Electoral
College thus recured decided the
question of the Presidency in lS77-the
votes as returned by the Electoral Com
mission being 1856 TO Island it might
again decide it,
The report then sets forth the pecu.
liar hardship of a real estate qualifica
ton in Rhode Island by bringing into
view the smallhess of the area OF tha
State and the density of the population
1t is remarked that the total nulnbel
Of dwelling houses in the state WE.
only 3S,875 in 1875; that large part o
the foreign population is employ ed il
the manufacturing establishments o
the State, and that small house SUIT
able for an operative and lis famil,
would cost $4,000 aud upward.
THE REGISTRY LAWS.
| AhO iSPOlb NOhllhuCb -
The character OF the registry laws OF
! Rhode Island as adding to the disaual
] ifications OF those who own no rea
est ate and throwing still further restriC
tions around the right of suffrage wa
the subject of testimony before you
committee. All native voters who owl
no real estate must register PERSONAL
in December and pay their poll tax c
81 in January, or they are disqualifie
from voting during that year. Thi
operates to dlsqualify very many pei
sons and tends largely TO corruption
among the class Of voters. DIR. Snow
) the Superintendent of the Census, an
several other witnesses testified tn;
the effect Of this restricted suffrage an
/, the Registry law is to bring about Il
payment Of money by the party leader
and candidates as an inducement for Il
voters to vote and to discourage the,
, from voting when those payments al
. not'made. The truth is the paymen
Of taxes as prerequisite to exercisiu
the right OF suffrage IS a most vicou
rule wherever it exists. 1t invariabl
D. tends to corrupt practices and TO debas
the voters. Restricted suffrage, registl
taxes upon poor men alone, statutol
closing OF the polls at sunset instead
at eight o'clock as formerly, by whiC
the operatives in the mills are preventt
from voting, and the compulsory pa
ment OF the registry tax ten montl