, 1881-01-16
TNfdI
Yards. 1>opu'Gtion.| Vote One in
The Fourteenth Ward, in which nearly
half the nnnulatiQn are aliens, rs shown BIZ

half the population are aliens, as shown by
the percentage of votes cast, would havo
double representation i'll the Common Coun-
ell, If the 1aw should remain unchanged, for
every citizen contained III it. One hundred
votes in that ward would count as much as
90 in the First Ward, 200 in the Eighteenth,
175 in the Third, 165 in the Ninth or Eleventh,
or $50 i'll the Twelfth. It should be added
that there is no pretense that any voters did
not have an opportunity to cast their ballots
at the last election.
On the present basis the l3O, GOO aliens in
the City OF Chicago, many of whom are so
from choice, would have about one-quarter
of the whole representation in the Common
Council. Six wards and twelve Aldermen
would be allotted to them, and each voter i'll
the wards inhabited by them would have
from IL to TX as much to say about the
character Of the City Government, tho
amount of taxes to be levied, the money to
be spent, and the purposes to which it should
be devoted as any citizen in the other
eighteen wards. It is not only possible, but
it is probable, that the representatives of
aliens in the City Council would hold the
balance OF power between the taxpayers and
the tax-consumers, and they would seriously
affect, if they did not wholly change, the COM
plexion Of the Legislature in of years.
There is no reason or justice in bestowing
this enormous power upon persons who do
not understand our form OF government, do
not take sufficient interest in it to avail them
selves Of its privileges, owc 1t no allegiance,
and pay very small proportion Of its taxes,
linn h., g..
not eligible to any Office, cannot serve as
policeman or fireman, is exempt from mil
itary service If he chooses to plead, as many
did in the late War, his foreign allegiance,
and has no further claim OIL the people of
this city and State than to the protection Of
his person and property from violence or
criminal attack. To give these subjects Of
foreign Powers equal representation in our
State and municipal Legislatures with our
own citizens is to wrong the latter, and es-
pecially those who have renowned, their
foreign allegiance and become duty natural
lied. While the admission to citizenship is
SO easy and tile invitation to all foreigners to
assume its duties and privileges is so strong,
there can be no hardship III confining its
privileges, and especially the taxing-power,
to those who have complied with the simple
conditions Of the law.
Representation in the Council should be
based exclusively on the number of citizens,
and equa1ized on that basis. The Federal
census, now nearly completed, will show the
number of natives ami natura1ized foreign
ers in each Of the present wards. The State
1aw should be amended SO as to provide that:
'' In the formation of wards the number Of
male citizens Of voting age in each shall be
as nearly equal as possible" ETC. All the
rest will be simple. Foreign residents will
be represented as at present, but they will
not be disproportionately represented. They
will have the protection of the laws, the adj
yantages Of City and State Governments, but
they will not be able to tip the scales in favor
Of the tax-eaters as against the taxpayers, nor
to dictate to the citizens Of this municipality
and State how they shall be governed.
It ought to require no argument to show
that citizens should not be overslaughed by
non-yoting aliens, OF that the political power