The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-05-01
Pron tbe Tr;b,,,e

tOrity Of both Houses are at heart anxious TO
establish universal suffrage. The decisive votes
by which each House has affirmed the principle
in eglslating for the District Of Columbia; the
oren declarations IN its favor of many members,
from whom opposition was naturally to have
been expected; the snO IN, though unavo wed
sentiments of Others, and, above all, the signih-
cant fact that Senat' rs who have been regarded
as special friends OF the Presidents policy have
felt it necessary to propose equal suffrage in
some form as measure OF compromise, make 1T
perfectly clear that the judgment OF Congress is
decided in 'avor o the measure. The testimony
OF lts friends and ITS mem es concdrs upon this
point. 1t Is the burden OF the charges made
against Congress by the devotees oil the Presi-
dent 1t is confirmed by AL the conudentlal
statements of members and their friends. 1t Is
not at all true that the majority have insisted
upon equal sUfirage as an indispensable condI-
ton o. TecOns lruCuon, or that this has been the
ground OF the breach between the Executive
and Legislative departments; but 1t is tru5 thai
most OF The Union members would like 10 insist
upon such terms, II they only ielt that they
could safely do so.
The truth OF these remarks may be established
by simple calculation. As a matter nj course
all the Ne England Sena ols, except those Il ON
Connecticut, lavor equal suffrage, that being
the rule in their own States. 10 addition to
. these lten in number), Senator'S Foster, Yates
II. S. Lane, KirkwooG, CIR mes, PomeroY; Olan-
NJG, pdIIlS, W Ndut, uuu llOWO are on re-
cord in its favor as a matter OF principle
making rs out OF 40 Senators as TO whose we VS.
there is no doubt. MessTs. Stewart aud James
II. Lane Rave introduced propositions in favor
OF some such measure as necessary com
promise. Messrs. Conness, Trumbull and Sher.
man are understood 10 be favorable, and Mr.
Morgan has supported proposition TOR the ex-
tension Of the franchise in his O VIZ State, In
short out of SO RepuDl can Senators, only five
are clearly understood TO be opposed, on prir-
ciple (or nterest), 10 an eYtcn-ion OF the snf.
trage. A similar analy SIS of the Lower House
would show a similar result. .- I
Why, then, does Congress hesitate 10 give
effect to its convictions Why does it not de.
clare plainly that political as well as civil rights
shall be equally distributed? Partly because il
doubts its power, but far more because It fears
that the people of the North Will not sustain
such a policy. The defeat OF that policy last
fall, in Connecticut, Wisconsin, and Minnesota,
hangs like nightmare upon our legislators
Remem bPrng how recently Illinois and Indiana
voted by immense ma critics TO exclude colored
people from the commonest rights oil humanity.
and forbade them even to enter those States,
they doubt the possibility of a change so great
as TO induce thelr people TO tolerate equal suf-
1rage Let u.s. then. look this difficulty squarely
in the face, and determine how much weight il
ought 10 have IN the minds of statesmen, or
even politicians. .. -.
And first, we beg to remind our Representa-
tives that the question which they need 10 decide
is not whether popular vote can be obtained
in iavor OF equal suffrage as an abstract propo-
SltOn, DuJ lS simply Nnetnef q majority be
obtained for candidates who personally favor
and vote Tor that proposition. We assert that
experience has repeatedly shown that thousands
OF men whose preiudices will not let them vote
for equal suffrage nevertheless vote cheerfully
tor men whom thev know to be supporters Of
that policy. In 1860, for example, the PROPOSE.
ton was voted noWn in this State by 100000
majority, while at the same time candidates uni
Versally kno an TO be in its favor ctlved So 900
majority. We do not know single assembly
man who was defeated upon this issue great
number OF members who had voted for the
proposition in the Lee islature we're candidates
tor reelection, and nearly or quite all of them
were reelected, while we never heard of one
who lost ten votes upon this account So in
Illinois and Indiana Messrs. Lovejoy and
Julian, as to whose views there was not the
snghtest doubt, were repeatedly elected from
districts which never could be got to vote tor
equal suffrage directly. The same thing hap
pened in Wisconsin and Minnesota last al and
in Connecticut this spring. Governor HaWley
1t is true ran somewhat behind his ticket IN
the last named state, but he was elected
nevertheless, in Stale which gave 5000 mato-
rity against equal suffrage. Nor is there any
TeacOn to believe that he lost MANY votes on
this particular ground, A radical of Parson
Brow nloW's stamp would have Jared no better
probably not SO well.
The elections lat tall are of minor Importance
upon this question, tor another reason, 1t is
well known that many persons voted against
equal sutlrage from the same motives which
have made Congress hesitate to pass certain
measures which II approves. The Union party
was very anxious, last fall to give the President
no excuse Tor o breach with it, 1t was generally
understood that vote for universal suffrage in
Northern state implied that the same rule
ought to be eniCrced in the Southern States
Many thought that such q vote would operate as
censure upon MIR. Johnson; and thev were un-
Wiling to make an issue with him upon that
point. No onsible man can doubt that if the
President lad insisted upon equal suffrage at
the South It would have been adopted by
decisive maiorities at the North.
In the 1eEt place, We ask consideration for
the obvious tact that the doctrine OF equality Is
rapidly and surely gaining ground Often as it
has been Ce'eated, it has with every succeeding
election received a larger proportion of the
votes cast. 1t is absolutely certain to win in the
end; and no shrewd politician will undervaue
the Importance OF anticipating q liCtle the ulti.
mate popular verdict. Nothing gives such last.
ing popularity as the courage and foresight
winch enables man, known to be practical 10
go patiently under temporary cloud if he is
hnGllY proved to have been right. Trimmers
ana shutters are not respected by any party Is
there any issue before the people which will
more certainly compensate for brief period of
unpopularty than that OF which we now sneak?
IL must also be remembered that the people
never fight long over dead issue. When a
question has really been irreyocably settled
those who do not fully approve of the settlement
nevertheless speedily acquiesce, and forget the
resentment towards those who achieved the
Work. rms has been illustrated hundred
umes, and is again proved by the present dispo-
sltioh OF the pro-sSVery Democracy to make
peb OF Democrats who voted to abolish slavery
NOW, II there is any one thing which IN )re than
al others Is lrreyOcable, it is wide extension of
the elective franchise If the mass of the colored
people are once endowed with the right of suf-
trage it will be as impossible to take n avvav
from them as it would be to drive the waters az
The Atlantic from their bed. The work once
done would be done forever.