Speech #470005772

The Senator from Massachusetts can make it. but he cannot escape in the eye of reason. he cannot escape in the critical and intelligent and reasonable processes of public opinion and in the educated opinion in the great institutions of learning in Massachusetts. by affirming a distinction where none exists. and saying that be does not question the right of any State to impose its own constitutional requirements and conditions. but that he does question the right of any State to impose such conditions and qualifications as will (not in their j adgment. but in his or that of the people of some other State) fail to secure to every man the right as the law gives it to them. not as that State acting upon its own responsibility. not as the character and intelligence and virtue of its people may think fit and best. but as he or some others in their judgment may think best outside of them. I agree with the Senator that in Massachusetts and New York. in Florida. in Mississippi. in Texas. everywhere. the law should be administered to give full and perfect protection to every man. but I insist that under the Constitution of our country any qualification for voters and any means by which the voter shall have his right ascertained and secured to him must be by the State law. the public opinion of the State. the moral and religious character of the people. and her judicial tribunals. and those are the true and proper means by which those rights are both to be made and preserved. The Senators therefore were wrongin their confident declaration that the statements which I read on the occasion referred to as to the number of people in Massachusetts who are not allowed to have any part in the government of Massachusetts are untrue. because their own census in direct terms. leaving no room for mistake. affirms the number to be exactly what I said. that is. in 1875 351.113 voters out of 449.000. the number of nativeborn voters being 281.842 and the foreignborn voters 69.271. making 351.115 asthe real number as stated in the census. so that the statement of these gentleman that the foreignborn voters who are not naturalized have been taken out of that and that it included all sexes. ages. and conditions. is entirely incorrect. Mr. President. what are the other tables which we find in this MasAPRIr 19. sachusetts census?