The Nation: A Vote For Every Man?

As the 13 states continue working out a series of new constitutions, they seem to hold widely differing views on a fundamental question: Who shall vote? Most states restrict the franchise to adult white males, but North Carolina permits Negro freeholders to vote, and New Jersey does not specifically ban women (although no women have actually voted there). Maryland excludes all "Papists," the original settlers, who are now only 8 percent of the population, while New York also has passed a resolution to bar Jews (a tiny group numbering only about 250). Among...

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