The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-11-21
Impartial Suffrage.

When those who talk loudest about univer-
sal suffrage are taken seriously at what they
say, they betray the halowness of the dogma
and the insincerity of their professions by at
once abandoning both. 1t could not be ex-
peoted of them in reason that they should do
less. Impartial suffrage is guarded by prop
er restrictions, so that the fountain of polite
al power may not be polluted. Universal
suffrage means throwing down of every bar
rler, In the shape of qualification and condi-
slon, BY which the source of authority III kept
from profan alton and tossing into the tram
pied arena of party strife the very safe-g guard
that permits such contests in popular govern
ments at all.
Impartial suffrage is strictly according to
democratic theory and rule it is impossi bic
to conceive from what other it derives sup
port. But its very name implies the exist
encs of some sort of qualification that for
instance, its enjoyment shall be put upon an
impartial obedience to some requisition that
is standard. To establish no standard is de-
baslng the very authority derived: the aban-
Comment of all conditions is an outright ami.
hiiation of the value of the franchise. When
the founders OF our republican government
laid broad and deep their plans, they had
much to say on the purity of the ballot and
the due protection of the franchise. All their
discussions of the subject 20 to prove that
they thought the stability of the structure
was TO depend en- the soundness of tesfoun-
dations, and that chief among those founda-
tions was the protected ballot. They did
hold that all power was derived from the CON-
sent of the governed but they had never
learned TO stultify themselves by claiming
that all alike possessed the right to vote be.
cause of their level qualifications.
This subject has been left, all through our
history, with the state governments for their
own management; and there alone it belongs
to-day. We realize that a new school of ex
perimentalists has emerged from the chaotic
style of thinking generated by the temporary
tumulss OF war, who seem to believe that the
holder their assumptions the better chance
for them to obtain a foothold and whose lead
Ing tenet ID that the war for the Union under
the con 'sItution his been successful only az
1t has overthrown union and constitution to-
gether but they advance no reasons and en-
ploy no substantial arguments that cen sup
pians tns sohd work of the trainers of our
system. The most they can say is that1hines
are changed. But the purpose of the war
was mos to revolutionizs, but TO establish. III
rs not more competent for congress- 20 no iuta.
the several states now and dictate the terrrS
OF suffrage than it was before the war. Tf1
1t be, then 1t can be shown recorded al Tbe
programme OF the purposes of the war. 70
baJ suos Az 6AcW dS b I6Buie out OF tho work
of war, is merely to admit that the var ba.
wholly broken up and destroyed our republi.
can system.
There can be no valid objection to the prev-l
alenos of the impartial suffrage prinoi pie
Based it as here in Massachusetts on citizen.
ship, taxation, and . certain degree Of intel
LICENSE, and no reasonable man will question
the fact that it is calculated to strength the
political character of every state that adopts
it..
These three simple and comparatively easy
qualifications are perfectly fair and do not
dsrogate from the value and dignity of the
elective franchise. They bestow il with free
dom enough, and still surround il with safe.
guards that are calculated to enhance il in
Che popular esteem. Those who ACQUIRE Il
feel that 1t is an acquisition ; to be without it
after coming to manhood would mark the de-
MED individual unsnviably. And from such
considerations it becomes a possession that
speaks the general authority with an, appre-
ciable emphasis. 80 800 f#
These qualifications which we have named
AZ peculiaH to Massachusetts,, We should be
glad to see adopted by every state in the I'm
ion. They are just bscsuss they are Impair
tial. We would like TO see them set up as
common standard Of suffrage, 10 which men
Of all conditions and colors should duly re-
port themselves for examination. Color