The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-09-02

In Rhode Island there are 200 foreign
born citizens who are disfranchised. The
law taking from them the right to vote was
passed by a Republican legislature and
though the Democrats have made every
effort to repeal the obnoxious law, the
Republicans being In the majority have
defeated every attempt. The congress
sional investigating committee. OF which
Senator Wallace. of Pennsylvania. Dem
ocrat, was chairman, reports as follows:
Your special committee to inquire into
alleged frauds in the recent elections was
directed TO inquire and report 60 the sen
ate concerning the denial or abrid2ment OF
the right of suffrage 20 citizens of the
United States. and now reports the result
of its labors concerning the abridgment OF
suffrage of citizens Of the United States by
the state of Rhode Island.
The distinction herein mssde betpeen the
rights of natiye-bor citizens 70 vote is so
broad and we'll marked that &C the outset
OF our inquiry the attention of your com
mittee was arrested by ID as an anomaly in
the American system. and we have given
it careful examination and thought.
The qualifications imposed by the State OF Rhode
Island, prior 70 the adoption OF the Constitution
until she adoption 81 the present constitution Of
Rhode 1slands were not unequal in character, az
m wac required voter should be Q land owner,
and free man, regardless Of his nativity-both
native-born and naturalized citizens were placed
upon the same level, and were required to have
the same qualifications, and no such distinctions
prevailed IN any State or colony at that time.
Under the present constitution of Rhode Island .
discrimination ID made, and clsss of citizens
lnstIraizedl are required TO possess qlalfcatlen
this additional qualification amounts to disfran-
chisement.
We examined large number of Wit.
nesses TO ascertain, as nearly "a possible,
to what extent this dIsfranchisement of
foreign born citizens had been carried in
that State. This testimony lie now report
ed to the Senate. and an abstract of it 10
appended to this report,
The testimony upon the subject of the
number of persons deprived of the right of
suffrage by the property qualifications
imposed upon foreign born citizens by the
constitution and laws of Rhode Island is
somewhat conflicting. various estimates
being made by different witnesses, ranging
from 5000 to $4,000, Dr. Snow, the
superintendent of tho census of Rhode Isl
and Of 1875, says that he should estimate
1t at from 5000 sto 5000. but that it is
mere guess work, and that il is possible
that from 10000 to $4,000 foreign-born
citizens of Rhode Island might be qualified
to vote If Daturalized, the number who
reported In the census as qualified being |
only 1864. Carl w. Ernst, an intelligent
Republican foreign-born citizen, gives
still smother estimate, after careful /
examination, and places the number of |
disfranchised foreIgn-borR citizens at not
less than 10000 TO Is 900. His Judgment
was based upon careful inquiry, and his |
m L: IL
The advocates OF the doctrine embodied |
in the constitution of Rhode Island of 1912,
that those who own the country ought to |
govern the country" did not dream in the
days In which they combated for their |
peculiar system. that discrimination was
to be made in the rule of suffrage between
the native born citizen, white or black, on
the one hand, and the foreign born citizen /
On the ether. Their teaching was placed
upon the high ground that every voter
,ught to possess the evidence of his fitness
to exercise the function of suffrage, and
that the possession of land was the safest
of that fituess. How lamentabiy
this theory has failed, in the light of the
testimony taken by your committee. IF
the rule were. rs those who created and
defended it intended, equal in it's disfran-
chisement, there would be no room to
complain OF the unjust Discrimination that
exists.
In the light of the testimony taken by
the conmittee. the discrepancy between
the voting population of Massachusetts,
and Rhode Island Ia readily accounted for.
1t 10 the result Of the praotical denial of
Suffrage to citizens of the United States of
foreign birth, and of impediments TO the
exercise OF the elective franchise by poor
natives. under constitutional provisions,
executed under rigid registry laws. /
Inc Importance OF this. question may be
further evident when we recollect shas the /
vote OF the electoral college 10 based upon