Smyrna times., 1857-02-18
Written for the Smyrna Times.
N1nnies Voting Themselves In Great
Distinction between Freeholders and
Mon n-Freeholders &

1
Distinction between Freeholdsrs and
on-FreehOlders!! 81
Mr.. Editor On Saturday evening last, /
understand. a certain "squad $ of our citizens
heid.a IoOn Meeting somewhere-perhaps in
liay- -Loft,-with a view of making popular !
and procuring signatures to petition, praying |
the Legislature, among other things, to amend !
the Town Charter, or its supplement, so as to
deter mine the .questieps of opening streets in
Smyrna, at the ballot-box, provided The com
mlssioners and the owners of the property to
be purchased for the public use fail to "chime
in = amicably; and, proposing that frseholders
alone be entitled 10 vote at said elections >
If this rumOr is correct, must confess that
have hitherto wrongly esteemed the monied men,
or, at least, portion of the freeholders of this
borough. / had looked upon them as high
minded, honorable gentlemen, willing, though
elevated above the poor man in point of wealth,
to yield TO him his just dues-equal rights as
cltlzen-eyen in political matters lam aware
that. IN narrow-contracted minds, the interest
of non-freeholders in the opening of streets,
aud the like, may be questioned; but, when il
is considered that the laboring man here, who
, owns not a foot of real estate, pays tax, aids
in supporting the municipal government, and
bears portion Ct the expense of opening
widening, laying off streets, &C., his Interest
and right in the matter is beyond cavil with the
: unbiased intelligent; and it is very ungenerou
IN any set OF men-not excepting the most aris
tocratic, nabOJiSh freehOlderS of Smyrna-tt
" attempt to abridge, in this regard, his just privi
leges. And, am happy to believe that ou
q honest cltlzens-among them a large numbe
. of freehOlders-will frown down such a con
: temPtible scheme. To the apish political as
: pirant, with more money than brains. "propert
: qualification is darling "hobby'' upon whic
- he is wont to ride. We know that sad exper
u" ence has taught this truth to some cou llre
of Europe, and. in The present Case, the lords
. and " masters of lot or two, in this sectie,
governed by similar motives, may be AFRO satin
" 10 themselves "reins out of their sphere
u and, further, it may be perfectly natural +,
," them TO do SO but this kind of human tul
doesn't meet with much sympathy in the hear
~ of FREEMEN, who fOndly cherish republican il
IL stitutions. Such wlseacrcs, in lieu OF tryr
u to cuforce their principles upon US might grea
NC y benefit this community by embarkng f
their more genial clime-one of absolute mo
W. archy. Here, we know not the mandates of
IL Gar. and will never submit to Scr(dom.
Election, to decide whether a street sha.i
'or opened or not! How ridiculous plenty
'u' money to defray expenses, of cour=e-in i
III TreGSury-the Golfers of which were filled
'"' the hard earnings of poor men but. they cal
vote,-"O. no!-theyre not .treckoidcrs :"
nS' Pugh! What humbug "a perfect farce !
Gu Why, Mr.. Editor, if had cal(, and il was
o' originate such an idea, it should be penned
l"' a goose.
understand, also, that our Representa-,
Vi in the Legislature were deemed by the .'asse
o'' bled wisdOm" above mentioned, as incapa
on, of lookino afier ,be;r macmillan in,a.o.,,.
''F they accordingly appointed a trio of their ov
with instructions 10 bear dispatches to Dow
:" and "LObdy it" at the capitol. The result
Jug their efforts remains TO be seem but we /
u"- we'll assured that our legislators have too mi
good. common sense, to give favorable consi
ration 10 this Odious provision recommended
" them. "Property qualifications" in some IN
, sure at least, was Obliterated from our To.
Charter by the last General Assembly; ,
PrOgressiou," not Retrogression, is the mo
day of GENUINE DsMOcRAcY
ma Smyrna, Feb. IL, 1887. j.. ~.