Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-08-22
SUFFRAGE.
Suffrage.
The Springfield (Mass.) Republican,

SuukO2Cs
The Springfield (Mass.) Republican,
Sam. Bowles' paper-Says:
The President is reported to have said
to a politician who demonstrated with him
against the North Carolina scheme Of re-
construction--'Well, we will try this plan;
if il pon't cork, 100 wW try some other
There is also a general understanding
among those who distrust the Presidents
scheme, because he does not confer upon
the freedmen the right Of suffrage, to wait
and see what the result is, before making
an open controversy in the matter. This
is only Just to the President and patriotic
in respect to the general welfare. But 1t
should not be understood that the agita-
ton of the general question of equal sun
rage will be abandoned if the Southern
State governments reorganized on the
white basis are found to run smoothly.
That result would preclude any effort on
the part Of the general Government, 1t Is
true, to interfere with suffrage hereafter IN
the reorganized States, but it would not
obviate the necessity of the agitation OF
the general question. Equal suffrage,
without regard to race or color, Is q mat,
ter of right, and it should be 80 demanded
of every State, North and South. 1t is
not true, as General Butler argued in his
Lowell speech. that every man who fights
for tho country has the right to vote.
Thousands of minors and foreigners who
have fought bravely in this war are not
entitled to vote till they become legally
qualified. But the true and fundamental
principle is that, other things being equal,
the black mar has the anne natural right
TO the ballot that the white man has.
The power 10 admit to suffrage classes OF
men that have not hitherto had the priVi-
lege rests with those who now hold that
power, but it is their duty, so to limit the
suffrage as to secure the safety Of the State;
and the best security lies in the intelli-
gence of the voters. The mar who can
not read, and is therefore ignorant of the
Constitution and laws, cannot vote intel
ligently, nor wisely for himself or the
State.
Equal suffrage to all men, twenty.one
years old, who read, write and pay taxes,
is the true principle and just and safe
limitation. Massachusetts, never did q
wiser thing than in adopting this princi-
pie, and her influence should be earnestly
given for its adoption everywhere. No
measure could give such security as this,
and if it were established in every State
we would feel that our republican insti-
tutions had been planted on a firm basis.
and that a bounty on popular education
had been offered which would give a free
common school system to every State i'll
the Union. Make the people of every
State what our common schools have
made the people of Massachusetts. and
future revolutions will be impossible and
the highest power and glory Of the Union
will be assured. In the interval, while
the Presidents plan of reorganization is
being tried, let the friends Of equal suf-
frage-universal suffrage is simply impos-
sible, though MIR. Greeley declares for let
ting the women and children vote if they
wish to-come to an understanding, and
agree to go for the Massachusetts test
everywhere. 1t can be carried much
sooner and easier than any scheme Of
equal suffrage without such test, because
it obviates many and great objections, and
it is the right and safe principle.