New-York tribune., 1868-01-04
THE PREVIOUS QUESTION:

| of the dcnS and demons WHICH S'c ohai"O'0A
to the Five Points and other =" slums OIL our
City-a class perhaps lower in tho scale OF DC
ing than can be found in any heather city on
earth. We thereupon asked our cOtemporary
TO state frankly whether tho pugillsts. black
legs, thieves, burglars, keepers of dens OF pros
titution, &C., &c, who make up so large
share of our City's inhabitants, were not
almost unanimously Democrats, and whether
the election districts mainly inhabited by these
outlaws were not cOnspicuously, intensely all
but unanimously hostile to what we commend
rs Impartial Suffrage. The World, in reply,
admitted that the fact was as We had in
tmated-that the lewd, ufianly, dangerous
classes, who largely people the IVth and With
Wards of our City, are specially hostile to
allowing Blacks to possess and exercise the
Right of Suffrage; while the moral, intelligent,
thrifty farmers of our rural districts are pre-
ponderantly with us on that question. Why so
The World responded in substance The
"profligate, outcast dwellers in great cities
have always been on the side of Liberty"
But how is Iit, we rejoined, that the side OF
prescription and disfranchisement for no cause
but color or race can be that of Liberty, or
even of Democracy Here are -Four Millions OF
native Americans claiming q voice III the
Government which they are required to sup
port, uphold and obey: How can those who
resist their demand claim that theirs is the
side of Liberty7 Here is every word of The
| Worlds reply:
at ia but a few days since THE TRIBUNE complained
that aspersed when represented "a the advocate OF
the Champion IS Impartial not universal. Unless this
be decefu distinction without dlnerence there a,s
certain classes OF adult men whom THE TRIBUNE wonld
be willing excluded from the elective franchise
No matter where tho line might be drawn the excluded
class would be taxed drafted, arrested indicted tired
G'''cdH Ike other csens But these liabihties beins
there there IS nothing eft for it's distinction between
impartial and universal suffrage to stand upon Here
proves too much, and npScls iis own position; InE liz
TRInuSEs logic is lko hai when i APT 70 denver S
THE TRIBUNE appeals TO the opinion OF John bright
which, shall presently another flourish of the
nail We know OF 40 evidence that John Bright favor,
universal suffrage. lie has never gone very much beyond
majority Of the adult males Of England disranchised
There the reasons for excluding the Hgocs as
ciss as for excluding the non-yotng inhahtant. Of
T. and But the military, penal and other liabilities
rected by TnE TRIRuSE entitie men TO INC sraSr, h
those ought TO vote in whose Acknowledgement Mt Bgh
acqucsoes TIE TRfBuNE's argument II equally vhlId
for extending the elective franchise to mnos ~ 10 mo-
quences Of his premises he must not expect 10 make
many converts TO his conclusions
We lhave thus given every word Of The
Worlds reply to our questions, IN Order that
our readers may be sure that no reply is posi-
ble. The World had accounted for the unani-
nous hostility of the dangerous classes to I'M
partial Manhood Suffrage by the assertion that
those classes are always on the side of Liberty
We thereupon challenged it to show that the
side of prescription and disfranchisement-ab-
solute and iinal-for -Four Millions Of mainly
poor and humble people, is tho side of Lib
erty; and the above is the best it can do in
response. 1t had lugged in the names Of John
Bright and Victor Hugo to fortify its position !;
we ask it TO submit the question on which We
are at issue to the arbitration of John Bright )
and it retorts that John Bright does not favor
Universal Suffrage. Perhaps not; but that he
does favor Impartial Suffrage. such as we ad-
vocate, The World knows full well. But we
will follow the chase no further. The World
plainly knows that its position is not " the
Z" side of Liberty" nor yet of genuine Democ-
racy. Whatever valid reasons may exist for
restrictions on Suffrage plainly cannot justify
the disfranchsement Of a race of -Four Millions.
And, if there were such, they would not be
on the side of LIBERTY"