The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-06-13
THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 1867.
A Judge Nominated to Uphold Injustice.


fine phrases in regard to "civil rights, y the
@'liberties of the people" democratic lnS'l-
tutions," etc., vanish into thin air the mo
nent the test of principle is applied lndeeu'
the partv itself applies it, and in one resolu-
tien writes 'hvpocrisy'' over all its pretended
devotion to popular rights. Although the
question of suffrage is not directly at issue IN
the present campaign, since no change IN the
present law is possible without moolncation
of the Constitution, the leaders Of the Demo-
cratic party, in convention assembled, hasten
10 make pratuitous avowal of their devotion
to injustice and wrong. They thrust before
the people their opposition to the extension,
or rather the restoration, of the elective fran
chise to the colored citizens of this State. And
as this resolution of the late Democratic con-
vention relates to no issue to be settled by the
result of the present campaign, we can only
regard it as gratuitously and defantly put
forth to debauch public sentiment. 1t is the
unblushmg avowal of an infamous doctrine
A party which calls itself Democratic and
yet starts out with a denial of the fundamental
principle of democracy, so that its very name
becomes synonym for hypocrisy, ought to
receive no support from liberal and right
thinking men. If democracy means anything,
if there is any principle at the bottom of it, if
it is good for anything, surely it must be a
different article from that whose devotees have
just been in convention at Harrisburg. If
there is any right which is fundamental one
in republican form of government, it is the
right of the elective franchise. 1t is that, and
that alone, throughWhioh all other rights can
be protected. In an aristocratic or monarchi-
cal form of government, the classes excluded
from political power are under the special
charge and protection of the governing classes,
because the established order of things makes
some such care a necessary part of the political
system. The absolute ruler feels something
of the responsibility Of patriarch or parent.
But in a form of government based upon the
principle of popular rule, the man without
ballot stands outside of the political commu-
nifty. He is political nonentity. He has not
the defense which numbers and a distinct
order in the community give. All his rights
are at the absolute disposal of others. The
denial of the right of the elective franchise is,
therefore, an act of the highest injustice, and
strikes at the fundamental principle of popu-
lar rule. Just so far as it goes it introduces a
form of government by classes, and not by the
people. 1t is step towards aristocracy and
away from democracy.
In our own State there are several thousand
native-born citizens thus excluded from the
political community-not on account of crime,
or ignorance, or any fault of theirs, but sim
ply and solely on the ground of the color of
their skins. These disfranchised citizens are
held to a strict accountability to all the laws.
They are compelled to pay taxes upon their
property They are called upon to bear
arms in defense of the country when it is in
danger. In a word, all the duties and respon-
Sibilities of citizenship are thrust upon them
while the essential and supreme right of citi-
zenship is denied them. Can anything be
more unjust than this Is there any excuse
for it Can any man give any good reason
why it should be sol And yet the party
which arrogates to itself the name of "demo-
cray" goes out of its way to gratuitously and
Hauntingly uphold scheme of injustice like
this And look at the manner of the thing.
The party is assembled to nominate candi-
date for the most important Judicial Office in
the State-an Office whose highest function is
the dispensation of justice, and in the very act
Of nominating this officer, who ought to go
into his position with clean hands and pure
heart, he is pledged to doctrine and measure
of the most arrant and unblushing injustice!
And this is democracy!
Judge sharswoOd owes it to himself as a
as Christian gentleman, to promptly repu-
diate this infamous plank in the Democratic
platform. It was an impertinence to thrust
him uponit. 1t had no proper relation to the
nomination of Chief Justice. 1t in effect
pledges him in advance to certain position
upon political question, and to position,
too, most abhorrent to every instinct of justice.
We believe there are thousands of members
of the Democratic party who do not sympa-
thize with its position upon this question. 1t
is impossible that among so large a body of
our fellow-citizens there should not be many
who feel the inconsistency, the injustice, and
the degradation of this perpetual warfare
against the first principles of democracy and
the plainest dictates of right. We know that
such is the case with the younger and more
liberal members of the party, young men who
have come into political life undebaHched by
long subserviency to the behests Of the slave
power. But unfortunately they are over
slaughed by the old hide bound, unprogres-
nIo Al.