Speech #460118096

In the State of R he Island a foreignborn citizenis required to hold real estate to b e sater. Hew cant censustaker in Jnne saywhether he win be the holder of real estate when the lfovember election comes on or not ? How can he determine whether tomorrow he will not be a holder of real estate. or whether. if a holder of real estate tnday. he may not part with his real estate before the day of election Is it the purpose to ascertain how many are today. according to the opinion of the census enumerator. deprived by the legislation or constitution of Rhode Island of the right of suffrage or is it how many are so deprived when election day comes around The condition of the naturalized citizen on the day of election determines whethcr he comes within the provision of the Rhode Island constitution or not. and the provision of the Massachusetts constittion that a naturalized citizen shall have resided within the United States two years or he shall net be entitled to vote. How is the census enumerator to ascertain. when he comes to take the namec of any particular naturalized citizen. whether he has resided in the United States or not during all the time that shall have expired between the date of his naturalization papers. or whether the time that he has been out of to United States and maybe out of the United States between the se t day of June. when the census is to be taken. and the next election day shall be taken into account and whether the census enumerators. wise. experienced. and slrillful lawyers as they all are and must he. being nonpartisan. shall be able to determine what is the legaleffect of any particula provision of a constitution or the laws of any particular State of this Union? Suppose one census enumerator wiser than all the rest shall say that a poll tax of 2 imposed bylaw as a restIction and an enactment that no voter who has not paid that poll tax within one yearfrosn the day of election is excluded by the laws of the State. according to this phraseology. and another enumerator shall say with my friend from Coneclout and myself that that is a law that applies to allof them. andthereforit dues not come within this provision. It requires a lawyer to determine and then all lawyers do not determine the same question alike. hnd CARPENTER.