The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1867-04-23
Communicated
The Suffrage Question.

NNNNN ANN ~ IhAANNAfAA AAANAf ~ W"
aid Of the golden rule In support Of his
proposition, affirming In the most dogmatic
style thai political rights have their origin
In the violence, %selfshness, aud Iapacity of
human nature, and not In the benign pre-
ccpt Of Messiah.
The question before the people of OHIO
now Is, shall the negro yoteg This issue,
80 long evaded by the party In power. by
which the majority were seduced into It's
support is now fairly presented. The tide
Of public sentiment Is really In favor Of
the recognition and enjoyment Of all nat.
ural rights to the extent that such enjoy
ment shall not conflict with the well being
of the community. But Is this right to
vote" II of the natural rights Of any peo-
pleY II the Radical party can so far de-
ceive the majority into this belief, they are
certain of success on the amendment issue.
For an idea to gain ascendency in France
the people are first led to believe that 1t Is
Napoleonic in its origin, and In America
that It has originated in nature or the De-
claration of Independence. \ right Is
the power to do, or to demand some thing
to be done. In an u~norganized state Of
society men enjoy all their natural rights
without any restriction, and the liberty
they enjoy. unregulated by law, leads TO
anarchy. The law Is, therefore, enacted to
restrain this unlimited freedom, and Is the
gradual results of the wants and necessities
of every people.
When a body of people once organize
into n State for the purposes of govern
meut. Il is for the object of security nut
tual protection and selfdefcnsc. The ques-
ton naturally arises then, to whom shall
the administration of the affairs of govern
ment be entrusted. In ancient Greece, 1t
was given to the people, en- mdSSe, and was
an unrestricted Democracy. In monarch
les it has been confined to the comparative
few. and therefore an oligarchy. In a re-
public 1t is entrusted to the representatives
of the people, and the only question Tor
such a community is, to whom shall be en-
trusted the selection of those who shall act
in behalf of the whole community. Men,
women and children have the same security
.oflife, liberty, character and property /; and
this without regard to rank, or color. But
as vet, it has only been cUntended by the
few that il was eXpedient for our women
to Engage in the political affairs of the state
government, or that they were by any
means shorn of the natural right of self de-
Tense because of not being entrusted with
the selection of representatives of the peo-
pie in the halls of legislation and other po-
sitions of public trust. 1t has generally
been regarded as unsuited to woman's po-
sition in society, and has never been ar
IDENTIFY advocated by many-even of their
own sex. Occasionally a Lucy stone. Anna
Dickinson or Cady Stanton branches out
on this subject and bring i'm Il rich harvest
of disgust from the fields occupied by their
own sex. Minors OF both IKE have the
same natural rights, and have additional
privileges granted them as to contracts on
account of their tender years and youthful
indiscrction.
No reasonable man as yet has advocated
the extension of suffrage to this part of the
community. 1t has always been exercised
by no greater part than one-tifth of the
entire population.
The right of suffrage, of whatever it may
consist, or whatever may be its origin, can
rank no higher than an important political
trust. 1t has been given to the few pos
sessed of competent Judgment, to be eNcr-
cised by them in propelling the machinery
of the government. 1t is, therefore, one OF
the conventional rights, and cannot by any
fair process of reasoning, be made to ranl
with the natural rights of any people. Th'
Constitution of Ohio has entrusted thu
elective franchise to all white male citl
zens of the age of twenty-one years, wh'
have been residents of their precinct TO
the prescribed length of time preceding
any election" a franchise is Il certail
privilege conferred by grant from the gov
eminent, and vested In certain individual
upon whom thereby devolves the execution
of certain trusts i'm behalf of such govern
ment, In the administration of justic
certain powers have the qualifications 70
|, jurors. In order to be qualified for tn
I discharge of such Judicial trust he mus
, have the qualification of an elector. A
: well. therefore. agree that ''all men" hav
y the natural right to be jurors as that {
. electors. In this view the argument of til
Journal becomes both absurd and ridicu
lous.
And furthermore if an elector become
D an inmate of the penitentiary and serve
his time he forfeits the right of eXcerclsin
r this Political, and consequently the judici
trust. Yet if a governor pardons the col
Wet one week before the expiration of h
term of service this right, claimed by. Il
Y journal to be natural, indeteasible ami ii
alienable, is restored by n single stroke
the pen by one having such authority.
But if one should undertake to preser'
his natural rights of life, liberty and pu
suit OF happiness, by an attempt to eva'
being forced into an unholy civil wa
which had for its object the liberation
the negro, tlen MS SO-calleu naJural 'IlS
to vote" shall thereafter be forever TO
= feited-Or if he shall have wantonly e.
~ cercised his rightto re~volutionize his go
ernmentby acting in accordance with one
a these rights avowed in the declaration
ir independence then too he shall be eNclud,
from the participation in the affairs of SUI
government. From this it is easy to s
1 that the right to vote is not a natuI
m right, but is wholly conventional in
nature and character.
Kentucky.
The people of Kentucky will hold the
Il election for Congressman on the 18th of Nj
Il next. We predict that the entire Dem
cratic ticket will be successful. Kentuck
liftrne to herself. will not stnn short of II