on
consent it was there planned that citizenship should carry with it the
right to vote, although this was to be put into the State
constitutions and not into the National. These delegates, influencing
their own States in the forming of their constitutions, easily brought
this about and without any movement on the part of those who were to
be naturalized. This common understanding in the National
Constitutional Convention and the Naturalization Act of Congress in
1790 certainly enfranchised somewhere between three-fourths and
four-fifths of all men in the United States at this time.

The population of the colonies at the time of the Revolution was two
and a half millions and even though all men had been voters the number
could not have been more than seven or eight hundred thousand. By the
census of 1900 there were 21,000,000 men of voting age in the United
States. The Act, therefore, of the U. S. Government virtually
enfranchised millions upon millions of men. Generations then unborn
have come into the right of the suffrage in this country under that
Act and men of every nationality have availed themselves of its
privileges to become voting citizens. Although, technically speaking,
enfranchisement of the foreign-born was extended by the States, yet in
reality it is obvious that the real granting of this privilege came
from Congress itself. The thirteen original States retained their
property qualifications after the formation of the Union and these
were removed by State amendments. This extension of the suffrage was
made in most cases many years ago, when the electorate was very small
in numbers.

The history of the enfranchisement of the negro is well known. States
attempted it by amending their constitutions but in no case was this
accomplished. Congress undertook to secure it by national amendment
and although this was ratified by the necessary three-fourths of the
State Legislatures yet it must be remembered that all the southern
States were virtually coerced into giving their consent.... The
Indians were enfranchised by Acts of Congress.

The evolution of man suffrage in the United States shows that but one
class received their votes by direct State action--the nonproperty
holders. They found political parties and statesmen to advocate their
cause and their enfranchisement was made easy by State constitutional
action.

In the 120 years of our national life no class of men have been forced
to organize a movem