Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1867-10-24
state Control over Suffrage,

The Cincinnati Gdstttc, arguing the is
sue as to where should be lodged the power
to control suffrage, quotes the following par
agraph from the Enquirer, the Democratic
organ of that city,
sit is rule which-although in the dis
| cussion of this matter it is kept carefully
out of sisht-nobody having any preten-
sions TO knowledge, legal or political, will
| dispute, that If Congress has any power
over the matter its power is plenary The
power TO regulate includes the power to
confer the elective franchise upon one man.
| or one order or body of men, and to take it
| away from another. Thus parlyjn power
may, simply taking counsel of its own will,
disfranchise every one Of the opposition,
| and, by mere be it enacted" make its
authority perpetual in the government. The
| majority may, from time to time us its in
tcrests shall dictate, eliminate the minority,
until the materials of the political stale
shall be confined to those who hold the
Offices
Merely stopping to make blunt denial of
the argument in the above, that the power
" to regulate" includes the power 10 confer
or take away the franchise, an argument
most preposterous and weak, we proceed
with the reply of the Gasette. The En-
qatfcr, ii says, can see in the possibility of
abusing this power TO regulate the suffrage
no reason against giving it to each State. II
holds that the power is right, safe and ne
cessary in the State separately, but that ii
is monslrous when placed in the hands of
the States collectively 1t is strange thing
in nature that when each one separately is
safe to be trusted with any power, they
should be so dangerous collectively.
Now it has always been held by statesmen
that power was much less liable 10 abuse in
the hands Of the great body Of the people
than in the hands of a small section.
In the large body the diversity OF inter
ests, and the time required for consideration
and action, have tendency to countcract
the fanaiicism and expend the excite
ment to which small bodies are liable, and
To give larger views and safer action. Who
will deny that the franchise of the people il
safer against restrictions in the hands of
Congress than in those of the States The
aHectalon OF fear that Congress may narrow
the suffrage is a palpablc sham, in view of
the patent fact that the opponents of this
right construction OF the Constitution want
to have the control of the suffrage in each
State for the purpose of maintaining the dis
Establishment OF a large body Of citizens.
| According TO the Enquirers view, each
State has ''plenary power over the matter Of
suffrage ltclaiins to each State the now
er TO regulate the suffrage. and 1t saws in its
strongest argumcntativc style, iii is rule
Which nobody having any pretcntions TO
knowledgc, legal or political. will dispute
that the power to regulate includes the pow
CT to confer the elective franchise on one man
OF any order or body Of men, and to take ii
away IRON another Thus it makes out
| that State may, by successive disiranchisc
ments of the minority, disiranchisc all but
| the smallest number that can make d ma
joriy of one, but yet the National Govern
ment cannot interpose, And that il makes
out that when the fathers made Consti,u-
ton of Government, they did not at all es
tablish what manner of government il should
bc, ana that It might be ring Of sovereign
arlstocraeies with the power all in one man
OF one family. as well as one republic; and
that they did this work Of folly while SET
| ting one TO establish domestic trnnuuilitv
and preserve the blessings Of liberty 10 their
poslerity We imagine That il there is no
alternative but what the Enquirer offers. men
will prefer TO have this power lodged in Con