The record-union., 1891-01-20


cast probably as wise and judicious votes
as anyone on this floor ever did. Irepeat
that the mere fact that man can read is
no evidence OF intelligence. Pass the
Constitution, either of the United States
or of California, through the land, and
let it be read by all who can read,
and how many could truthfully say
that they understood or could construe
its meaning? | am against this measure,
for the reason that it would debar some
of our best citizens from voting; men
who have helped to build up the State
from the early days to the present; men
whose integrity and honor stand unirG-
peachable. If the time ever comes when
we should adopt such Il proposition, it
is certainly not until these old pioneers,
who carnped out i'll the wilderness and
cleared the forest and laid broad the
foundations of what are now great States
| in the western part OF this Union shall
have passed away. There are many of
them yet on earth, and | do not believe
the present generation should be so un-
just as to adopt such an amendment And
| hope every one on this floor will be fair
and liberal enough to vote on this and
every other measure presented. on the
merits it possesses and not because he is
Democrat or & Republican. Applause
Mr.. DibbIe--I am not willing that the
only opposition to this amendment shall
come from the Democratic side. fAp-
plause.l l do not believe that it is wise
to submit it to the people of California,
nor that it would be. wise for the people
to adopt it if submitted 1t means the
disffanchisement of several thousand cit
liens OF this State; of three or four thou
sand who reside in the city and county Of
San Francisco, one OF whose representa-
tives am. | am opposed to tho adoption
OF the amendment on political grounds I
am opposed to it rs a Republican, I
1
ment lately i'll the South TO disfranchisc
the colored citizens by tho adoption of
amendments similar to this; notably in the
State of Mississippi. | am not willing
that the Republican purity of California
shall set an example which may be
quoted appFoviugly By the Solid South
in its movement 10 disfranchise colorod
citizens i Go not believe it would be
just TO tlistranchise those citizens OF Cali
forltia who became such by virtue of the
Itreaty between Mexico and the United
States. | know, and you all know, that
there are many citizens of California of
Spanish blood and descent who are unable
to read the Constitution in the English
language. / do not believe there should be
any basis for the right of suffrage but man
hood. Il believe i'll the doctrine of man
hood Suffrage, which was advocated by
the Republican party during the recon-
struction period, and which is one of its
l1ufI0ttilHiltal bt!lttS. i DGllcND every
man who has attained manhood. and who
has not sacrificed his right by crime.
should, iiayea voice in TIE government OF
the State in which heliyes. | do not be-
lieve in making 4 corner in the righ. of
suffrage, to use a commercial phrase 1t
might be to the interest Of those who thus
became II privileged class to lessen the
opportunities of mento learn to read and
write the English language. | believe
the doctrine advocated by our great party
in the years paSt-the doctrine of man
hood sulirage-is the true ore, and [ am
opposed to the adoption of this amend
nlent.
Mr.. Sturtevant-With considerable diff
tidence | rise to speak on this question
after a gentleman who has had SO much
experience in public life and politics as
the gentlemen from SAN Francisco. But
as young man Of California, native
born, believe / have the right, and /
would like to express q, few ideas In the
first place, / am an American; and, being
an American, / think that America
should belong to Americans and be gov
erned by Americans. fApplause.] The
great Majority of those who cannot read
the Constitution of the United States. or
OF California, or write, are foreign born
| There Is no qualification required for
! them to become American citizens, but
they are admitted to the franchise simply
by being naturaliZod; and, when natu-
raIzed, they are lot, IN majority OF
cases, required TO show any knowledge OF
the Consultation of the sUnited States or
OF California. Now a man who has not
! some knowledge Of those two documents
! has no right TO exercise the suffrage priv
ilege in this or any other State do not
| think, though, that ,othis amendment
should be-as 1t is now-retroactiye 1t
should not disfranchise those already
electors. | would. therefore, recommend
the author to withdraw it and introduce a
substitute which woIlkf'not disfranchise
| but simply prohibit any person wishing
in the future to become a citizen OF this
State from becoming one unless able to
read the Constitution Of the United States
and of California.
| MIR. Barnett of San Francisco did not
intend speaking upon this question until
heard the argument of the young gem
| tlemen from Mendocino. The thought
then struck me that those who ask Tor
the adoption OF this amendment imagine
that because man caIllIot read the Eng
lish language he is not a man. Now be-
heve in the saying of Robert Burns: IA
man IS q man for a. that.p / am opposed
to the adoption of the amendment.
| Mr. Clark-I do not believe it would be
| wise for the people of this State, irrespec-
tive of party, to ADOPT an amendment of
thlS character. do not think il would be
| just; and my reasons are these: There
are thousands in California who would be
affected injuriously by it. Now, while
IT is true that there comes up from almost
every State the cry that there is an ele-
ment flooding the shores of America,
which sooner or later, will overthrow
disastrously affect our institutions un-
less some stop is put to it, vet,
| in accordance with our great prin-
| ciples of liberty, we have held out to the
world that America was the asylum for
the oppressed of all nations, causing them
to cast their eyes longingly upon this
country and say, there we can 90 and ex-
| ercise the right of suffrage by reason of
our manhood and be protected in it.n
We, as q nation and as a State, having in
vited these people to our shores with the
| understanding that when they had re-
sided here the length of time our laws
prescribe they should then be admitted
to all the rights of citenship, it would be
wrong and unjust, and in the nature of
an ex post factor statute to now impose
this restriction; because amongst tho
great mass of immigrants who have
come here, there necessarily are many
thousands III our State now unable to
read or write the English language We
held out the inducements I have referred
to; we told them the rights they would
have II they came. They have come in
pursuance of that promise. And now for
the State of fCalifornia to go back on its
contract would be wrong and unjust. 1t
may be necessary in the future to do
something to prevent our country be-
ing overwhelmed by undesirable i'm
migration knowing nothing of the spirit
of our institutions. The gentleman from
Humboldt spoke of Connecticut having
adopted q similar amendment in 1895.
Well, in 1854 they burned woman in
that State as a witch.
Mr.. Bledsoe-l754.
Mt. Clark-May be it was. But what
another State may have done is no