Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1867-01-30
Popular Suffrage.

One gets tired and sick of the arguments
which are constantly being brought for
ward by the opponents of the extension of
suffrage. Among them all we can hardly
lay our finger upon one which bears the
slightest claim to validity. We have no
reference to those who admit the justice
of popular suffrage, though ira melting
it with various and complicated qualihca-
tions, but to those who, would remorse-
lessly shut out from the polls each and ev-
| cry human being who happened to have
curlier hair or darker compilations than
the law allows Anglo-Saxons. The rea-
sons are simply reasons of prejudice, and
Just as nationally might drunken Joe
Smith be objected to as a voter by rad
ical temperance man, or big footed Jack
Jones be refused the right If suffrage by
community of voters who wear boots four
sizes smaller.
Popular suffrage is the agent which over
turns monarchies, breaks down oligsrch-
les, and raises and advances republican
forms of government, 1t is the very
foundation of freedom and liberty. In
the same proportion that it is restricted
liberty is withheld from the people, and
in proportion to its judicious extension
and enlargement, popular freedom IS en-
larged. A government which denies the
-allot to any class of men competent to
vote understandingly has not reached the
full standard of republicanism. There is
no country in the world where political
liberty is so universal as in the United
States, and yet even here we have not at
tained the perfection of political freedom
There are thousands of men in this
country who are intelligeT enough to ex-
ercise the suffrage privilege direc tly, who
are nevertheless EXCLUDED from that privi-
lege. The only objection urged against
the extension of suffrage to this class Is
they are so unfortunate as to have been
born with a different complexion from
that which the majority wear. Such al
objection might do in an antl-republican
government, but not in our own, where
we are supposed to ignore class distinc-
tions. 1t is narrow and bigoted objection
at best. Color in persons is as much mat
ter of taste and fashion as in garments
Let one of our white objectors go to Con-
90. and he will doubtless find people there
who will pity him because he has not the
comnlexion of a coal-scuttle. Should he
visit japan he would be rated at dis
count because his complexion lacks that
beautiful elephant yellow tint which is
accounted the only fashionable color IN
that country. Let HIM make an excursion
TO our Indian territories, and the noble
red men of the forest will scalp him be-
cause he is not of the requisite eOppery
hue.
But, some objectOr may here interpose,
if personal color is only a matter of taste /
or fashion, why not favor negro equality |
socially and politically? To which We
answer, the distinction is here: Fashion |
or taste is one thing, and principle of right /
another. An American would not select |
an African, q Chinaman, or an Indian for
an associate. That would be q matter of
taste. But does it follow that he should
denv any of them the privilege of earning
and enjoying living We are opposed
as a matter of taste, to social el uality be-
tween whites and blacks, but Is that rea-
son why we should deny the latter what
the fathers of the Revolution conceded
"that all men were created equal; that
they were endowed by their Creator with
certain inalienable rights; that among
these are life, liberty, and the pursuit Of
,"
No man, whether white or black, rich
Or poor, should be debarred a voice in a
republican government, provided he be
to exercise the privilege. Our
avs prevent imbecile and insane persons
rom voting on the ground that they are
of voting intelligently. The
anne principle ought to be extended so
ar as to withhold the suffrage principle
rom o. hers regardless of class, who are
.otally incompetent to vote. Such exclu-
lion would be no innovation upon Repub-
ican;sm, for popular liberty does not re-
luire anything that is dangerous to the !
afety of the States. The laws in several
# the States which discriminates against &
,olor in suffrage is contrary to Republican '
principles and ought to be blotted out {
)ur Government should aim at the per- {
ection of political freedom, and it will i
lttain that end only by the extension Of I
ufrage to every man who is qualified to |
7ote understandingly. no matter whether !
le be whittier than snow or blaeker than I
Weekly Dispatch.