The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-03-11
Qualifications of Voters.

(lu1l1cdIlOlS VI NOtOf~'
Tho discussion Of the rcappoftionme'
hill IN The last House OF Representatives
brought OH, a variety Of opinions as 10 inc
meaning Of The following part OF the iout'
,.ea,h mendmen, 10 the Federal Constilu'
ton
:. Nm. when the right to vote at any eitc.
ton for the choice OF electors Tor fresiuc"'
and yice.Prtsldcnt Of the United STATES
representatives in Congress, the execu'Ne
and judicial officers Of a state. or zoe mem
hers Of the Legislature Thereon, Is uch,.o W
any OF The male inhabitants OF sucn S.aae'
hc;ng ,Weniy.one years OF age and c'tizehs
- Inc limited States, or in any way
shrldred. except for participation IN re-
heI,Ion or other crime, the basis OF repre-
sen,etIon therein shall be reduced III inc
nranor4ion which The number OF such maze
ci,i1ens shall bear to the whole NUMBER OF
male citizens twcniy.one years oil age 10
such State"
Tho same question arose when Congress
v.s called upon to provide for taking the
census Of 1870: and in his fervent zeai anu
immovsble purpose to iind IN Tue southern
states something which would JUSTIFY Con-
pre.s in cutting down their representation
the secretary OF the Interior required the
census. takers Of 1870 to report the number
OF DISTINGUISHED persons in every State.
Such returns were made, but the Secretary
himself admitted that they were totally I'M
reliable. Congress, therefore, paid no
attention TO them when IL passed tue
bill apportioning representation uhoei
that census. The question, however, as
TO the meaning and intended operation
Of that section Of the fourteenth amend
ment was as fully discussed then as
II was at the recent session OF Congress.
The conclusion reached in both instances
seems 10 have been that practically the IAN
puace quoted above was dead letter, there
being. first, no way in which Congress could
form a satisfactory opinion as TO what the
language was intended to mean; secondly
no method OF ascertaining how many per-
sons were dsfranchised within The meaning
OF the amendment; and, thirdly, no posi-
bic way OF cutting down the representation
OF Republican States without the consent Of
the Republicans in Congress, nor OF cutting
down the representation OF Democratic
States without the consent OF the Demo
Gratis in Congress. In fact, although re-
Gently n number OF the members Of the
House OF Representatives declared thal
Massachusetts, Virginia, and other states,
ough, TO be deprived Of portion OF Their
represen,ation in that House, yet no vote
was ever taken that We are aware OF upon
any proposition 50 10 punish those States.
Mr.. RUSSELL, of North Carolina, Re
publican Greenbacker, arraiSned III Inc
House of Representatives on TIE 10Th oil
last month the States that have III bis opln'
ion abridged the right OF suffrage within
the meaning OF the fourteenth amendment.
His arguments made no impression upon
the House, we suppose. His statements
however, as TO the DISTINGUISHING laws IN
the several States is, we think, entlreIy
true: and as matter Of interest to Us here
in Virginia, we will give the results OF bis
investigations into the subject, so far as lh's
one point is concerned.
Massachusetts, "requires the payment OF
tax and that the elector shall be able 10
read the Constitution in the English Ian
guage and write his name" Wonder what
our Virginia Republicans have TO say as TO
that requirement 1t DISTINGUISHES; says
General BUTLER, about one hundred thou
sand males over twenty-oUe years OF age.
Massachusetts, is the hot-bed Of stalwart Re-
publicanism.
"Rhode Island" says Mr.. RUssEIIs
"most fligrantly DISTINGUISHES vast num-
bers Of her male citizens otherwise quail
fed. She requires the payment OF a tax OF
all her natiye-born citizens as condition
precedent to the enjoyment Of the elective
franchise and a. to her foreign born cili-
zens. who constitute the bulk OF her popu-
laton, she requires property qualification
TO the amount Of 1884 in real estate, over and
above all incumbrances.' But as Rhode
Island is entitled TO only one member OF
the House anyhow, or, by stretching point
in beriavor, to only two members, it will not
be easy to get Congress to agree to punish
her. She, too, is Republican stronghold.
No Democrat ever represents that State in
either house of Congress.
not read the Constitution and Statutes"
Both Of the United States senators from
Connecticut are Republicans, as are also
three out Of four Of her representatives in
the lower House OF the Forty-seventh Con-
gress.
Pennsylvania requires the payment OF a
tax as prerequisite TO voting. Pennsylya-
MIA, the State Of the CAMERONs, is also a
State which is universally recognized as Re.
publican in its politics.
The only other States named by Mr.. RUS
SELL as amenable to punishment under the
fourteenth amendment are Virginia, Gcor-
gia, and Delaware. We all know how small
a tax is required in Virginia-only one dol
lar year. We do not know the amount Of
the tax in Georgia and Delaware. But Mr..
RUSSELL makes it clear that the Democrats
would gain by reapportionment under q
law deprivng all those States Of portion
OF their representation which he sets down
as having rendered themselves liable to that
penalty. So the Democratic party has no.
thing to fear on that score.
-------------------@ ------
Vennor, The weather prophet, don't seem
to be such a humbug, after all, il the Rich
mond Dispatch and Stanton Spectator do
denounce him. Rockingham Register.
That is what Professor TIcL's admirers
Il