Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-12-14
Tb. Right of Suffrage.

TT Right or SUFFRAGE
The restriction Of the right of suffrage to actual tax
payers is founded in one of the primary principles Of
governmental equity which uds ready response In the
minds of all men in any degree acquainted with the ma
ture and o. ecs OF government TIE grea. iact Of
government is to preserve society To accomplish this
object reason not less than experience teaches US that
it necessary to restrain the natural power and in some
instances the patara rights Of individuals within certain
d finite limits II is ths restraint alone upon idiyduals
which eau prevent society from degeneratng into an
archy.
As the object Of government Is to preserve society,"
the OH ct of Constitution is preserve government
and through its means society itself This is done by
establishing its authority and by imposing limitations
and restraints upon that authority, to prevent 1t from
using its powers the irjury and oppression OF the
governed. 1t is admitted by all that according to the
theory of representative Institutions sovereignty re-
sides not in the government but in the people, the
tors Of government But it sdl remains for the Cons
tuition the supreme law Of State, define who the
people in whom this supreme ultimate authority called
sovereignty resides Do they embrace the whole body Of
society or should they be limited to those who contribute
10 the cost and share in the burdens Of the
This is the question which has been RENTED to the de-
cision of the people themselves, by the Convention
whose lsbors have just terminated and deem its
right decision matter Of Importance, submit at
few elementary views, with the hope that they may
contribute towards turning the ref cons OF the people
10 the true channel.
Is it e1pedient, then, to limit suffrage to those who
by taxation support the government and deny to those
who pay nothing towards its maintenance aud support
Before answering this inquiry may not be improper to
advert prevalent and wdsysprsad error in relation
the Ofthe right suffrage. By many ignorant and
houghtess and iogicaly disposed individuals this
right is confounded with tie class of natural rights
which are in their inasnRbe and of which So
ciety has right to deprive any individual This is
apparent from the in which they discuss the
Subject drawing and recognising distinction between
those rights which are derived from nature and there
fore to all men, and that other large class of
social rights derived altogether from the society Of which
the individual Is member. !. is sometimes said that
all men have right to vote, but why and upon what
consideration is the right so called, foundedH The
generality Of the expression that all men have this right
is Of limited to that class Of society in whom the
supreme ultimate authority resides. When thus re-
strained TO make 1t accord nearly with the
Truth of the fact ask again. whence is the right de-
rived? It is plain that it is not natural right but
right derived from the laws and ordinances Of society
All men, then have the right to VOTE because society
has chosen 10 invest them with It. Upon what consideration
Is the right founde62 All admit that the rights duties and
obligations existing between the government and the
governed, mutual aud reciprocal To the citizen
the government protection in all Of his natural and
artificial or acquired rights To the government in re-
turn for this protection, the citizen the duty of
o1ederce its laws and of contributing its mainteu
auce preservation and support. When these duties have
been respectively rendered then the mutual obligations
existing between the government and the citizen have
been discharged Ii said that the non tax payer al
trough he contributes nothing in the way Of money
towards the supper. Of government yet, is
liable to military duty, and actually DOES perform mill
tay service and in that way, does aid in the mainten
alcs and support Of government This true and il is
equally true that he does so in discharge Of previous
debt or obligation due from himself TO the government
Military service ia due from him to the government In
return for the protection Aordedby government to him
all of his rights OF person. of liberty and of property
l. /, pain then that military service alone confer
no right of voting The question, therefore, shall those
who contribute nothing in the way of taxation towards
the support of gOvernmen. be permitted to srcse the
olcc i've fra1chse Is altogether Of governmental
pedency.
Is itwe is proper, Is Il Just, that those who pay
10 taxes shall be allowed through the exercise of the
elective franchise impose taxes upon othersy Taxa
ton aud representation, according to the recognized
theory of oil representative governments, mutual
We weut iato the war Of the Revolution because the
British Grown claimed the right to tax without allow
ing Us representation In Parliament. But how do We
avoid the evil, to guard against which went into
.hs var of the Revolution, IL we allow large and daily
Increasing class in our State who pay no taxes to
impose the burthens of taxation upon othersS The
taspaJing portion Of the community are in justice ent
ted to the power of selprotecton but this power of
seliprotecion may be impaired and utterly de-
royed If those who pay taxes to the government
b. allowed voice in laying the burtheDs Of taxation
upon the shoulders Of others. In doing 30, they will
acs With extreme indifference caring nothing for and
feeling nothing OF the hardshps which they impose upon
Others.
Tue thing IL urjud Il ought not to be- That man
who cannot who will not psy his taxes In nearly
all cases either too INDECENT or too dishonest, or too
Indifferent to the welfare of the community to be made
depository of political powsr-and thereby should be
excluded from all participation in the exercise Of the
elective franchise The exclusion should be made abso
Lutte and complete in ali Gates where the individual has
rot bona i previous TO the time when he proposes to
vote made payment of his taxes without the interview
tioa or aid Of candidates for office.