| Show IN THE IDAHO STATE convention one right daring the dispute in the so called constitutional convention in idaho the following speech was made concerning the infamous provision to disfranchise a large proportion of the citizens of the contemplated state solely on account of their membership in an unorthodox church without reference to any overt act on their part we clip from the idaho democrat the election and suffrage report no 11 being under consideration in committee of the whole in tho debate ensuing mr said 1 I have often wished to be a great orator but never so much as at the present time from the fact that I 1 believe that all the rights of citizenship worth living for are at the mercy of an unscrupulous party not only those of the cormons mormons but of every voter in this territory but before I 1 proceed farther I 1 wish to call your attention to a few of the fundamental maxims of the fathers who were present at the birth of our liberties not however that I 1 think it will maken change in tho vote of any member on this floor as that is impossible in any case where fanaticism reigns supreme A jealous care of the right of election by the people no republican government can be permanent in which the people are denied a direct voice in the election of their representatives ta tives universal suffrage and equality of all men before the law no religious test or qualification for citizenship or the right to vote or hold office taxation without representation Is tyranny such are the sayings of those who framed the declaration of dence and the constitution of the united states and in none of the thirty eight of the union do you una any ftuer qualification for the right of suffrage than that of citizenship zen ship and the age of twenty one except those of unsound mind etc even the negroes indians and mixed breeds are accorded their true american prerogatives without inquiry as to what they may think or believe on this or that subject now why this discrimination in the constitution of idaho against a class of barown race who have never been convicted of any crime and because they are simply adherents or in the language of section 3 of this article or who is a member op a different religious sect from that of ourselves that word remember includes all children born of mormon parents cursing and condemning all from the youth to the cradle and even those yet unborn just because and for no other reason than that their parents refused to vote the republican ticket other states and territories have colonies of these people but do not seem to have such trouble and evan in utah they vote and hold office mr jaine ia their delegate in congress he is paid for his services by the united states he calla on the president and all the departments makes speeches in the house of representatives and no one has ever attempted to have him expelled from that august body which is only the inferior of one other body on earth and that is the idaho constitutional convention but sir it appears to have been reserved to idaho to put the first religious qualifications of the right to vote and hold office into a constitution on the american continent and also to make the first attempt to revise and enforce two of tho most hated and damnable ceresi ps against the inalienable right of the citizen taxation without representation and punishment for opinion sake instead of overt acts citizenship is the highest and most sacred relation that can tween a man and this government with it bestowed he can travel all over the civilized world aud all the time be andor the protecting hues of the stars and stripes and any infringement gement of his rights or liberties guaranteed by our laws and constitution would call forth all the powers of hia country to avenge the same though might exhaust the surplus of the treasury and decimate the army and navy to do it yet after all this expenditure of blood and treasure in order to restore that citizen to his proper standing before the world and his countrymen if one of those sagebrush statesman should discover that he was a resident of idaho and belonged to abo mormon church he would at raise the howl that said mormon could neither vote nor hold office but section four of this article does not apply to the cormons mormons only but can be made to apply by the legislature to every voter in the territory it makes that body the sole judge of the must sacred privileges known to man for his own protection from the oppression and abuses of government when administered by bosses instead of the people 1 object to the legislature having anything to tho right of suffrage in tho proposed state what such an unheard of power meana no other state has entrusted it to that source but all without exception leave defined and confined it strictly and unequivocally to their constituents now I 1 have this to say to every member on this floor who loves and respects right above wrong vote this infamy down here and now and if you are overruled here by the fanaticism of the majority then go before and point out tho danger of voting to adopt such an instrument it gives to any party in power the means to itself by a few political shysters shy manipulating the legislature which experience in this territory has fally shown it was in vain that washington and chis compatriots assumed the right sword in hand to repel choso earno innovations on the simplest and dearest human rights receiving the plaudits pl audits and approbation of all good ih inking people for more than a century it we LOW are not entitled to he full benefit of those grand achievements equally with all other citizens of this great republic if we are not then our boasted liberty and even life itself is an idle dream if fanaticism is to become the ruling passion as it is now apparent in this proposed state and the bloody scenes of two hundred years ago are to be re enacted in sentiment at least then anarchy will take the place of good government it is said that aliese people are traitors to the country if so chov me the proof and I 1 will help you hang every mother s son of them found guilty as I 1 despise a traitor to any cause above all other criminals on the face of the earth but until some evidence is furnished to sustain such a charge they must be presumed tobe innocent and especially as long as they ann cnn act the part of good and loyal citizens by paying taxes suffering all the pains and penalties of just and unjust laws are willing to bear arms and are subject to the draft in case of war to defend the state and even the homes and fi resides of those same fanatics who are seeking to disfranchise them in this proposed state universal suffrage and equality of all men before the law has ever been considered the quintessence of republicanism and on that just and humane proposition it succeeded and became a great national party and carried out the idea by enfranchising several hundred thousand negroes of whom nine out of ten did not know what the word ballot meant but it appears the in idaho has a different notion about these rights and that is that only a select few should be permitted to exercise the right of suffrage suf as prescribed by this con and that the legislature be empowered to further curtail this right as in its wisdom it may see proper there are several men on this floor who profess to be followers of a master whose commands are as follows not even cormons mormons excepted do good for evil love thine enemies do unto others as you would have them do unto you it is better that ninety nine guilty escape than to punish one who is innocent and who will vote for cheso infamous outrageous and prescriptive measures against their fellowmen fel how I 1 ask how can you reconcile your actions with the above commands of your pretended master no doubt you think me a very bad man because X differ in opinion from you on some questions but I 1 request that when you reach that beautiful shore and have time to cast a glance over into that dark abyss that you will bear witness that I 1 did not vote to rob i any one of his human rights nor to punish the innocent equally with the guilty as you did today to day |
