The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-02-14
WOMAN'S RIGHTS.


the Brooklyn Academy Of Music the first of course Of
lectures national AFFAIRS to be delivered under the
auspices Of the Brooklyn fraternity taking for his SUBJ
ject Universal Suffrage" Though the fact of tho
erend DOCTORS appearance in his favore y0l was
svey circulated there was but very meagre attend
ance, the Academy presenting . beggarly array Of
empty benches Whether from surfeit OF the subject
or from the fact that dollar for reserved seas and y
cents for ordinary considered too much the
proposed entertainment is true that the lecture
pecunary point, was . decided failure and whether
from these circumstances or from the paucy Of his
hearers and their apathy throughout the lecturer
not as pungent foreibs as his won't After beng
introduced TO the audience Mr. Beecher forward
and spoke substantially a. follows
propose 70 speak to you tonight upon the subject Of
universal suffrage. By universal suffrage that
every citizen who has attained the Of manhood he
has an interest in the laws and and in the
10 influence the state and its policy and express that
influence In the potential manner implied In the vote
suffrage based upon the mere fact OF manhood and
not upon any class reason or any supposed preparation
and fitness
UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE THE AMERICAN IDEA
And first universal suffrage is but the carrying out to
the full Of the tendencies OF American history At
first, in New England suffrage confined to church
members This sounds to us singular but it is only the
local application of principle which unfortunately vet
exists 10 force namely that only the best qualified have
right TO vote II you hold that only the well qualified
citizen has right to vote, you ought to find fault
with any particular mode Of determining who the
best qualified Experience has taught that the Church
could not the State, but that itself corrupted
in that whoever wanted to vote brbed for the sake
OF It into church membership But we need not
be ashamed OF the fdeas Of fathers that the
State is something sacred, and that political duty
is so eminent as to require the best service
and 1t was noble IN them to say "a real Christian the
best man. He is the best man. It was weak in them
to suppose, however, that church member was of
Christian, and that man was OF course not
Christian because n me- ami or Agan
their fears, slowly reluctantly but surely and irress
IDLY, the popular will pushed back the barriers ana
very founding Of the colonies has been in one way,
without reaction retr0cession tendency toward
OF advanced men Of reflection and sympathy with
American ideas Of government Is sill in facor Of wider
suffrage And all signs show that the time place
this subject on the ground Of universal principle and
take it of from the ground OF expediency. We advo
cate universal suffrage a. right OF manhood, and not
as privilege accorded by society TO the deserving
Universal suffrage secondly is logical result Of Ameri-
can doctrines OF society. All political power begins
and inheres in the people, and is alenaed from them
only by crime. And II 1t exist in any other FORM in
magistrates and governments IL s by the delegation Of
these inherent rights OF tho people to officers
Custom may have practically managed so that only
part OF the peop. should exercise potential political
po 0a mold sha az ans
thor power from the governed then proceed TO ex
cude large classes Of the governed from the Of that
power, without going To the doctrines o! arsoc
racy. In our day there is choice left TO consistent
reasoning, logical mind only between two theories
the democratic and aristocrac We bound to come
to the ground that every citizen has right VOTE
wo are bound to 60 back boldly to the arstOcratc
ground and say ony the best citizens have right to
VOTE" We have never consistently carried out our
principles in America. We have really proceeded on
The theory that the belongs to the best part
Of society In other words, wo have given q very i'm
perfect rendering to the principle that society ought
be IN the hands Of educated and moral men, II ought
but i ought TO DO in their hands only by
very different thing from taking class OF society that
are educated and moral and saying that in them nhere
privileges political, because the Stale benefited by
their exercising them and the exclusion OF others.
hold that reason should vote and morality should vote
and, therefore, hold Indispensable that reason
and morality should be carried down. just long as you
can find man. TO the very bottom OF society We have
sns N 20 oGs , We s $50 anoner
ne oheigr Than THIS, that II al power Originally
belongs TO the people, all the people have right to The
exercise Of that power and discrimination IN favor OF
one class, whether on moral or intellectual grounds
and against another Is odious and inconsistent with
own political philosophy.
SUFFRAGE slTrRAr RIGHT
Thirdly hold that manhood suffrage intrinsicaly
Just and right well consistent with philosophy
and in the line OF our historical DEVELOPMENT il Is the
right OF every 10 have a voice In whatever affects
his name his happiness, his family, his property. his
safety and his life Laws and policies do bis and
every man. If there b. any such thing natural right,
has right to voice and influence in determining laws
and policies which reach him. sit him. which make the
or subverson and wre,chedness Where can nm yoo
find natural right II Is not in this
neighbornoodf II is said that society has the right Of
What is society, dis ingq shed
from the people? The people have the right preserve
and, to do it, TO tear society 10 pieces 1t
he needfu to change il, to modify It's structural instiiu-
items. But society, something different from the
whole people, has rights. Society means govern.
ment, or the organized condition OF the people. And
society," dstlng from the people, has rights
which democratic people hound 10 respect. II the
whole people with itself that part OF II shall
VOTE and that part consent 20 it, that IS their lookout;
but for an arstocratic majority 10 agree together that
the other part shall not vote Is an injustice. II may he
said that IN making the the law Sw' me best men
the people should receive common and like
justice before the laws, that the administration of
law being just and right the benefits OF gcrerrm will
become equal, universal. and that ID 4 l. IT, iced OF
ypv'rsa snhiags w the construction of the law. But
Answer criminal Jaws and their administration are bn
q very small part Of the go eminent inlucnse Com
megcial laws have far TO do with convenience and
with prosperity. for they determine tho whole flow OF
ordinary hie Now, il may be laid down as funda-
mental canon that class OF mon arc h to essate for
another classtha every class knows its interests
and Legislation Just IN which all interests have not
been fairy represented and iclt should like TO know
money Lenders could be trusted 10 make the laws for
borrowers Of money. Would VOC permit creditors to
make all the laws that TO influence debtors or
debtors 10 make he laws out Of the bands and over the
heads Of credorsY They have 10 tusse for H. and
a compromise between them Would you allow importers
make tho laws, or would you allow home manufac-
tuYers mako the laws DO you not lead above ell
that contest and yet TO an equilibrium Can poor
suffer the parental rich franc the policy Of
industry Arc We bound 10 let the employer make all
the laws and the employed 10 have no yoiceY What s
the question, the rebellion OF the hour in labor but this
that large Of interest have directly In
directly been excluded from determining pociceS
Everybody feels his want Each sort class know
their necessities nobody else know them,
and legislation be equitable enough in which the
whole citizenship has had chance make Us wants
and it's interests known. We have authoritative
instance OF this IN the South at tho present time The
laws there made by white lnen, aud they made
for white men. Yet il is said tina. In many OF the
southern States ireemen are now admitted 10 equal
rights under these laws but the administration OF these
laws docs affect alike the black and tho white in the
South The laws respect vag ants made for white
warrants and not for black The laws respecting orphans
and orphapage as they were made exclusively In the
interest Of kind not t TO be applied 20 all kinds
To admit the blacks therefore, to equality before those
laws not protection. rney bear quay on one or
another clnss and though you give equitable admins
aton TO laws, II Is necessary that All classes should
ha, had voice prior to administration in legislation
itself. No class can be more thoroughly free than BY
putting the whole suffrage IN s possession leaving out
Of delei fnnalion who shall be admitted TO All the
power Of he state with ms lodged In the vote That
which In the crown and In the sceptre In England
in the vote In America and that class that Yields the
vote yields everything, because Il Is majority Of the
people. IL u not lees class In America however,
think not onefourth part o. the people vote II you ex
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