Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865. He had delivered the Emancipation Proclamation in January of 1863, but it was the action of Congress, led by his Republican party that codified the elimination of slavery by amending the Constitution with the 13th Amendment in December of 1865.
In July of 1868, the Republican Party of Lincoln was the force behind the 14th Amendment which, for the first time in the Constitution, defined citizenship. Since the importation of slaves into the United States had been banned since 1807, the amendment allowed for anyone born in the United States to claim citizenship — incorporating all those that were born into slavery.
In 1870 those of Lincoln’s party were able to push through the 15th Amendment declaring that race, color, or previous conditions of servitude cannot be used to deny a citizen’s right to vote. Effectively adding from 500,000 to 750,000 eligible voters to the registry. Notably not yet including women.
In 1920 Congressional Republicans led the movement to allow women to vote, culminating in the passage of 19th amendment. This added 26,000,000 more potential voters at that time.
1971 brought about the 26th Amendment opening the voting rolls to all those over 18 years old and signed into law by President Nixon, elected as a Republican. This is a group that numbers nearly 46,000,000 today.
My point in all this is — What has happened to the Republican Party that once offered people a pathway to citizenship and the right to determine their future in our country with their vote?
The Republicans of 1870, 1920 and 1971 apparently did not feel that the expansion of the number of voters would harm their chances of winning elections.
Today’s Republican party seems intent on reducing the number of voters with what they call the SAVE Act. They fear those voters who vote early or by mail-in ballots, voters that have changed their name, do not have a driver’s license, those who do not fly in airplanes, have a bank account, rent a car, or don’t care to have their picture taken. They fear those voters with sexual orientations they feel are a reason to exclude them from the rights and liberties that all Americans are promised. They have an unfounded fear of the process of registering to vote and the integrity of our election officials in gathering and counting our ballots.
Close to home, the Stephenson County Republicans have shown support for the SAVE Act and a fear of the audience present at the local League of Women Voters candidate forums by not participating.
Today’s Republican Party no longer has the courage or confidence of the Republican party of the past that welcomed new voters and has lost the right to call themselves the Party of Lincoln.
We will see how history remembers the Party of Trump.
Stephen Judd lives in Ridott.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: How will the history books remember the Party of Trump? | Opinion
Reporting by Stephen Judd, Special to the Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
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