Show BALLOT REFORM Judge Judd Corrects a Point in the Report of His Lecture He Referred to the Future Not to the Past Salt Lake City Nov 27 1893 To the Editor of The Herald Ifeel greatly complimented by the editorial comment in your Sunday morning issue upon my lecture before the students of the university upon the subject of Ballot Reform but in your comment you say While his idea that none but native born citizens should hold the elective franchise may be regarded as extreme it must be conceded that his reasons for desiring some correction for the evils of alien voting and endowing ignorant foreigners with the same rights as well informed Americans are grounded in fact and consonant with right principle At the same time it must not be forgotten that there are well educated and well disposed aliens residing in this country and ignorant and debased natives of the soil This language manifests upon your part a clear misapprehension of one point in my lecture In speaking with reference to the ballot reform I took the position that the method of casting the ballot was of little consequence but the qualification of the person who was casting it was the thing to be considered con-sidered I said that if by our laws a sufficient premium was put upon citizenship citi-zenship of the United States to bring about an educated intelligent and patriotic pa-triotic citizen the manner of casting the ballot was of little consequence that if on the other hand the ballot was allowed to any kind of a citizen without regard to his qualifications that instead of exalting citizenship in our government we were debasing it and that no method of casting the ballot bal-lot could possibly be invented that would secure an intelligent expression of the sovereign will In this connection connec-tion I said that whenever the political politi-cal power of this country was shifted I from the rural districts to the cities that the future of our requblic was in danger because we had thrown open i the doors to the ignorant and criminal classes of the world who had flocked I I and were flocking into our larger cities and that the balance of political power in elections was being exercised by the ignorant foreigners who knew nothing of the spirit and genius of our government and to whom the suggestion sugges-tion of patriotic impulse was incomprehensible incom-prehensible In this connection I said that if I had the power I would so amend the constitution of the United States that from this time forward no foreigner should ever exercise the elective franchise fran-chise in the United States I said that to governments like individuals belonged be-longed the right and duty of selfpres ervation and that since the political power of this government rested with the people and found its highest expression ex-pression at the ballot box we had the right to guard that ballot box against invasion from the ignorant foreign element as much as we had the right to guard our country from the invasion of an armed foe I said at the same time that I was aware that my position posi-tion in some quarters of our country was not a popular one but that as an American citizen I had the right to express my opinion upon the subject and that I felt it a duty incumbent upon me that in whatever I had to say to the American youth I should holdup I hold-up befor him correct ideas and correct I principles of government and to teach I him that citizenship in our country was a thing of the highest possible value and that when he comes to exercise ex-ercise it at the ballot box he should be controlled wholly by an intelligent and patriotic impulse From your comment you seem to think that I expressed the opinion that those from foreign countries who had already al-ready been made citizens of the United States should be deprived of that citizenship citi-zenship I not only expressed no such opinion but I expressly disavow any such feeling I would not if I could deprive the most humble citizen in our land of any right or privilege he may have succeeded to according to our constitution and laws but I would stop it where it is If this be unpopular unpopu-lar I cannot help it Pardon me in this connection for expressing the opinion that it is not long in the future of this country until my position will be announced an-nounced by citizens of the United States more often and with more boldness bold-ness than it is now and that the people I peo-ple who always lead the politicians will yet brinor the fnntrrp nf flit I United States ndu the president to see their duty with reference to this sub ject r I would not exclude upright intelligent intelli-gent foreigners from coming here and settling among us but upon the con trary would rather invite them to do so and extend to them the full protec I tion of the laws in the acquisition and holding of property and in the protec I tlon of life and liberty and the pursuit lof I happiness but I do not think a man jght to be allowed to come here and ttle among us and have the benefit of the hospitality of our government and the protection of its laws who cannot bring from the ruling sovereign sover-eign from whom he comes a certificate of a good moral character This may not be very popular either but it is my view and whenever I speak to the youth of this country I intend to express ex-press K I am respectfully yours I JOHN W JUDD 1 |