Rhode Island
still admitted only a freeholder or his eldest son to citizenship. New
York had only three years before abandoned property qualification for
white men to vote and still demanded from negroes an estate of $250
for this inestimable privilege; so slowly did we slough off the
inherited idea and ancient custom of being admitted to freemen's rights
instead of being born into them.
The revolt of the people also showed itself in a demand for the right
to nominate candidates and to choose electors for the presidential
elections. Since the beginning of the Constitutional Government, many
State Legislatures had assumed that right to themselves. "Each State
shall appoint," says the Constitution, "in such manner as the
Legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors." So late as 1820,
six States still refused to allow the people to choose the electors
and, consequently, the President. In five of the States where they
were chosen by the people, voting was done by districts and in the
remainder by a general ticket. Ever since the change in the manner of
casting the electoral votes was made in 1804, attempts had been made
either by an amendment to the Constitution or by national legislation,
to secure a direct and unrestricted vote for the people.
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