Arizona republican., 1904-02-02
pHoEN1x. ARIZONA. FEB. ?. 1901
fIr. ouay's Catch Clause.

Some of the eastern papers are dis cussinE the question of joint statehood, but not from the coint of view occu- pied by Arizonians. Their discussions are confined to that feature of the Quay bill for the admission of Oklahoma and the Indian territory which provides that the new state shall never fix an educational qualification for voting. The object of this provision is to pre- vent repetition of the legislation of many of the southern states depriving negroes of the franchise.
 MT. Quay's purpose was, no doubt, to enlist the sympathy of the northern senators, but he has not succeeded in enlisting the sympathy of the republi- can newspapers, for of the measure the Hartford Courant says:
 "A story comes from Washing ,on that the leaders of the senate have struck a bargain with Col. Quay. He is to do certain things, and by way of payment they are to help him shove his bill for the admission to the union of Oklahoma and the Indian territory as ore state. The bill is to be modified in uniTrTportant particulars, but is to re- main, substantially, the Quay bill. Tn S is the story, and we shall not believe it a day sooner than we have to.
 The passage of the Quay bill as it stands would be a moral crime and a political stupidity. It would infiict a senseless injury upon the people of the new state. It would still further cheap en and degrade the elective franchise. Incidentally it would be a costly days work for the republican party.
 For the Quay bill undertakes So to tie the hands of the Oklahoma and h. dian territory people that they shall never be able, in all the generations to come, to shut the polling booth against any man of voting age because of his ignorance. It is nothing to Quay that he is giving a voice in the government to men who don't know what the gov ernment is who understand nothing of our institutions, public affairs and po- Iitical contentious. who cannot read their ballots, and to whom election day means only little whiskey money. He has written in his bill that the new state shall never set up an intelligence test m trO?t or the DOliS.
 Monday the New YC.k Tribune gave conspicuous hospitality on it's editorial page to a letter about the Quay bill. We quote the closing seu- tencss of the letter:
 Is it wise statesmanship, whatever the legal authority. to forbid any com munity to place its government fin the hands of it's most competent citizens ? Universal suffrage is not and never was a necessary principle of American liberty. Washington. Hamilton and Jefferson knew no such thing. The ballot is not a right, but privilege granted by the state for practical pur- poses of government. The compara- tive homogeneity of our people in :he second quarter Of the last century made it seem harmless to the citizens of most of the states to abolish poverty and cd ucational qualifications in the face of the tide of racial democratic senti- Inent then prevailing and the pressure of dem agogues to make new voters whom they could control. It is now a serious question to many minds if tine movement did not go too far. Our in- stitutions might be safer if they were in the hands of at least those who are
 
 laws are written and understand some thing of the spirit and traditions on which they are founded. It is no prop CT function of the United States tu force any state 10 commit it's cfviliza- tiOn to the guardianship of thriftless- ness and ignorance
 We hold the truth enunciated ir that last sentence to be self-evident.
 '9f by the leaders of the senate be meant the members of that body pre- eminent for their abilities and public services. Orville H. Platt is of the num- beF. We feel very sure that he will DOt be found advocating bill that. as H stands, contains an implicit censurt Of his own state-the free, independent and (within it's constitutional sphere) sovereign state of Connecticut. From the beginning the state of Connecticutt has done what this Quay bill under takes perpetually to restrain the people OE the proposed new state from doing She has said-she says today-to every sY4An Knocking at the door of her cleo 4Orate: If you can read, come in! Il you cannot read, outside is the place fOg yau.'"
 in injecting the provision to which 0bSectlon IS made, MT. quay proDaDly knew that it could be of no effect ana the objecting editors ought to know it The new state would attend to the business of the franchise and it would have the authority of the United States constitution in spite of any law that congress might have imposed upor them. No state can. by congressional enactment, be deprived of any right that belongs to any other state no: can right that belongs to other states be withheld and other states may and do fix the qualification of voters.
 AIr. Quay might as well include 1T his forthcoming Arizona-New Mexico bill provision that the members of thu