Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-09-25
The English Language i'm Connecu-
CNew York SUM

The voters of Connecticut at their town
elections next month are TO pass upon Il
proposed amendment to the organic law
of the Nutmeg state. The present Coh,
stitution provides that every person shal
be able to read any article OF the consul
tuition or any section of the statutes OF
the State before being admitted 10 me
rights of an elector This provision was
adopted in October, 1850. The other quar-
fcations Of an elector in Connecticut are
thus described I'm the Constitution:
"a male citizen, q, who shall nave re-
sided i'm the State for one year, ana IN the
town for six months, next preceding the
election and shall sustain q good moral
character"
There has been, as ii appears no differ
ence of opinion as TO what constitutes ana
what falls short of the requirements OF
good moral character IN Connecucut, , Dut
the provision which relates TO the aplhty
to read "any article of the Constitution OF
any section of the statutes or the Slate
has been thought to be ambiguous. some
of the election officers declare that such
reading should be, and by law must De, III
English, while others have, win equdi
vigor, contended that the ability TO rea
I'm any language the Constitution OF
statutes was all the law required.
BY the Federal census of 1880 the TOT
eign-born population of Connecticut was
183 600 and the number of tOreign-bofn
male persons over the age OF q was io,tl'.
At that time Go per cent. OF lhe hldl0
voters in Connecticut were hallVe pOIH
and 80 per cent. were foreign porn. luz
ambiguity of the constitutional provision
has led to the acceptance in some coun-
ties of,the votes of citizens having no IN
innate knowledge of English, and TO the
rejection i'm other counties or similar APP
plicants. In order TO bring about UNIFORM
ity i'm the matter. there was submitted 20
the Legislature in 1898 proposed aihehu-
ment. which was rasifed by both houses
and this year this amendment is TO De
voted on by the people of the state. III Is
as follows:
every person shall be able to read IN
the English language any article or the
Constitution. or any section OF the sta-
tutes of the State, before being adihl'teu
as an elector"
In other words. il will no longer be SUI
ficient for an applicant for the rights OF
citizenship i'm Connecticut If the proposed
amendment is adopted, to demonstrate
his educational proficiency by reading the
Constitution i'm the language with when
he Is familiar: he must be able TO read IL
in English. The voters of the state are
asked TO give their sanction 10 inns
change. the practical effect OF when VIII
be to render uniform henceforth the con-
ditons of suffrage In Connecticut The
rejection of the amendment would DO
away with the requirement. slat Enshsh
shall be spoken and understood
There is now large Canadian trench
population in Connecticut. IT is increasing
at a lively rate. and perhaps it is on ac-
count CT this that the proposed amend
ment has found favor; perhaps ii Is
prompted by the desire OF Connecticut
electors generally to restrict the suffrage
by excluding from il other newcomers
However that may be. the question Will
be voted upon next month and deter
mined so that in the future this consu-
tutional provision may be no longer IN
definite or ambiguous
In New York State there is no constitu-
tional requirement that English should he
understood either by citizens or sherifts