The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-21
Tho English Language in Connect
iCut.

The voters Of Connecticut at their town
elections next month are to pass upon a
proposed amendment to the organic law of
the Nutmeg State. The present Constitu-
ton provides that every person shall be
able to read any article of the Constitution,
or any section of the statutes of the State,
before being admitted to the rights Of an
elector. This provision was adopted in
October, 1858. The other qualifications of
an elector in Connecticut are thus described
in the Constitution:
"a male citizen. twenty-one. who shall have resided
In the State for one year. and in the town for six
months. next preceding the. election and shall sustain
. good moral character"
There has been. as 1t appears, no differ
ence of opinion as to what constitutes and
what falls short OF the requirements Of q
good moral character in Connecticut, but
the provision which relates to the ability
to read any article of the Constitution or
any section of the statutes of the State"
has been thought to be ambiguous. Some
of the election officers declare that such
reading should be, and by law must be, in
English. while others have, with equal
vigor, commended that the ability to read in
any language the Constitution or statutes
was all the law required.
By the Federal census of 1890 the foreign
born population Of Connecticut was 1885,
900, and the number of ~foreign-born male
persons over the age of 81 was 7S,415. At
that time 65 per cent. of the male voters in
Connecticut were native born and 80 per
cent. were foreign born. The ambiguity Of
the Constitutional provision has led to the
acceptance in some counties Of the votes of
citizens having no intimate knowledge of
English, and to the rejection in other coun-
ties of similar applicants. In order to
bring about uniformity in the matter there
was submitted to the Legislature in 1895
a proposed amendment, which was ratified
by both houses; and this year this amend
ment is to be voted On by the people Of tho
State. 1t is as follows:
Every person shall be able to read IN the Enorf,h
language any article Of the Constitution or any Sec
ton of the statutes Of the State before being admitted
a. an eiector."
In other words, 1t will no longer be sufi.
cient tor an applicant for the rights of citi-
zenship in Connecticut, II the proposed
amendment is adopted, to demonstrate his
educational proficiency by reading the Con
stitution in the language with which he
Is familiar; he must be able to read it in
English. The voters of the State are asked
to give their sanction to this change, the
practical effect of which will be to render
uniform henceforth the conditions of suf'
frage in Connecticut. The rejection of the
amendment would do away with the re-
quirement that English shall be spoken
and understood.
There is now a large Canadian French
population in Connecticut. 1t Is increas
ing at a lively rate, and perhaps it Is OF
account of this that the proposed amend
ment has found favor; perhaps it is prompted
by the desire of Connecticut electors gen
orally to restrict the suffrage by excluding
from it other newcomers. However that
may be, the question will be voted upor
next month and determined, so that in tn,
future thisC Constitutional provision may bt
no longer indefinite or ambiguous.
In New York State there Is no Constitu
tional requirement that English should b'
understood, either by citizens or Sheriffs.