Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1864-05-12
The Elective Franchise.


what persons are to be invested with
the right to vote. 1t is already no I'M
common thing TO hear that right claim
ed for the women, and it would be very
difficult to show that minors at the age
of discretion and women are not as ca
pable of giving sensible votes as large
proportion of the men who are now in
vested with the elective franchise, Ever
since the commencement of our national
government, many of the slave holders
of the Southern states have been per-
mitted to cast more than four votes
each. In fact, it would have been thot
| much more preposterous during our
revolutionary war to have invested our
New England men with the privilege of
voting while serving in North Carolina,
than 1t is now to give women at home
the same privilege. Besides, there Is
nothing so preposterous that party spir-
it or political depravity will not do in
order to accomplish its ends. There is
nothing to prevent state or domin-
ant party in the state from comforting
the elective franchise on minors and
women, if it chooses so to do. The pub
lie mind seems to be in pretty fair trim
to attain that end and if it is thought
best to prevent it, the question is wheth-
err we had not better begin at once to
protect our constitution from invasion
and maintain it as it is I? It were best,
perhaps, under any circumstances, to
take the initiative towards saving it, in
stead of edging up to the farthest posi-
BILE step towards its infringement. We
ought to be more fearful of its violation
than DESTROYS of carrying measures that
might subvert it. .
1t would not argue well for the sound
ness of a state government if its consti-
tuition were to splinter and broom up
under the pressure of such rebellion as
now exists among US nor would it be
decent, or sufficiently respectful of our
selves, to be more in haste to alter and
violate our state constitution than we
are to amend the constitution of the gen
eral government. For thirty or more
years of peace and three of war, atten-
ded with Generalization, blood-shed
and waste of treasure, we have been
kept in a state of self-stultifying dread of
even approaching the constitution of the
United States with the idea of violation,
but when the question is palpable, di-
rect, unmistakable violence to be done
to our own state constitution, we DO
not stand in dread of the idea for thirty
years, nor hardly for thirty weeks, but
we think that it is very desirable, and
make all the haste possible to effect it!
But we cannot yet reconcile ourself
to the belief that the settled policy Of
the state has become to enact laws sub
versiye Of the constitution. We can IN
derstand why persons should feel in
clined from sense of gratitude, to ex-
tend to the defenders of the country even
greater privileges than the, elective fran
chise, but few will be SO mad as to offer
to these defenders violated constitution
as the reward of their services. Yet
celebrated writer of the last century in
speaking of a similar case, said that it is
possible that more than two thirds Of
the nation, the Senate, and House, may,
in times Of calamity, distress, misfor-
tune, and ill success Of the measures of
government, from momentary passion
and enthusiasm, demand law which
will wholly subvert the constitution.
The constitution Of Athens was over
thrown in this way by Aristides himself.
The constitution should guaod against
all possibility of it's subversion; and we
may take even stronger ground, and as
sert that it is probable that such cases
will happen, and that the constitution
win, in fact, be subverted in THE way
1t is the beginning of the evil and error
that we should check, for we know
not to what extremity they might bear
uR. N gus 8"' 'H't
No one heretofore has been invested
with the right of voting for the state
while absent from it, The absentee is rot
disfranchised is not deprived ofthe right
Of voting, but is necessarily suspended
in the exercise Of it. The votes of re-
giment that might be serving in Texas
or Arizona could hardly reach the state
and be counted between the day of cleo
ton and the session of the legislature in
October. The state has no power to
punish United States soldiers for the
infringement Of her election laws. The
very definition Of the word freeman would
prevent the soldier of Vermont from vot-
ing, for a freeman is one who is govern
ed by no laws or rules except those to
which he gives his assent, either by
himself or representative, which cannot
be truly said of the soldier, for he is
never consulted as to what he will do.
in any way. o5a4 aA@. ESQ
But even admitting that the military
are freemen, within the meaning of the