Speech #610199826

My investigation. so far as It has gone. has failed to reveal a single case in the admission of any State where the enabling act undertook to change the laws with respect to the qualifications of voters and to fix the qualifications by Congress itself. In til case of the State of Mlichigan. which. by the way. came In without an enabling act. but under a constitution. which was presented to Congress and which was accepted. there was this -provision in the constitution: In all elections every white mate citizen above the age of 21 years. having~resldcd in the State six months next preceding any election. shall he entitled to vote at such election. and every white male inhahiltant of the sge earoresald. who may be a resident of the State at the .timne of time signing this constitutfin shall have the right to vote as aforesaid. When that constitution was being considered by Congress and the question of the admission of that State under that.constitution was being debated.. a distinguished Member of Congress used this language in referring to it: Congress must pass all naturalization lawsIt will be observed that this constitution allowed an In.habitant of that Territory to vote who was not a citizen of the United StatesCongiless must pass all naturalization laws by which aliens are transformed into citizens of the United States. But. on the contrary. we have no control over the right of suffrage in the different States. That helongs exclusively to state legislation and state authority.