The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-09-01
A RIGHT Or A PRIVILEGE.


The Democratic State Convention at Do
yer, Delaware, on the Goth, nominated BENZ.
T. Briggs, of Newcastle, for Congress. The
following resolutions adopted by the State
Convention in June, was again affirmed ~
one of the principles Of the party:
Resolped, That the elective franchise is politi
cal privilege, and not natural right and is to be
granted or withheld BY the several states to their
respostiss inAsbitAnts. o In de lsss, spaad jude
n,ent aud discretion Of ssch Ststs shall b deems1
for the public interest and welfare
Who constitute the State? Who are the
persons in community that possess the right
to grant the privilege of voting to other per-
sons? On what principle have such persons
obtained this right
Under the old m onarchical theory the King
ruled by Divine Right, and all rights and
privileges we're held to be derived from him
by special grace and favor. Then class Of
mobiles by special grace Of his majesty were
invested with rights and privileges, which
became hereditary, and this class were the
councillors and officers Of the King. And
eventually certain concessions were made to
rich land>holders and wealthy merchants,
and the privilege was conceded to them to
send representatives to the Councils Of their
King.
Now, upon this monarchical theory, we
can very we'll conceive the origin Of the idea
Of the privilege of suffrage, and the same
principle will hold good in an oligarchy es>
tablished by original proprietors Of the colo
ny Is in South Carolina.
But our fathers in framing the Republican
Government Of the Unitsd States, utterly
rejected the Divide Right ofoss n,aa power,
OF the prescriptive, and vsstsd hereditary
right Of an oligsrchy 70 r,tie. And in their,
grand decissaaior Of human rights they pro.
claimed the night of the People TO rs
tsblish their own form Of Government and to
select their own rulers. Moreover, they in
sisted on the equality Of right and power.
and forever repudiated the idea that outrage
was merely pririteoe to be conceded Of
withheld from the people u the.rlcamre Of
the rulers.
The fundamental idea Of free institutions,
of Democratic Republican Government. is
the equal political rights Of all men. 1t
would be utterly mpraciicable to form a
free Government on any other principle or
basis. sss
Whenever the idea Of the Divine Right Of
Kings, and Che prescriptiye and vested
rights and privileg Of aristocrats are re-
ected IS the fundamental principle Of Gov>
eminent, the equal and inalienable rights Of
the people alone remain upon which TO plant
the sure and rghtful formations Of Govern
met.
The security of life, liberty and property,
are the objects for which Governments is in
stituted amongst men. The advocates OF
free institutions everywhere, regard man
in himself aside from his trappings and sur
roundings, as being Of infinite importance,
and ignoring accidental distinctions assert
universal equality Of right.
The assumption that man Of property is
entitled to voice in the Government, and
that the poor man should have no such voice,
is the practical rejection Of the fundamental
basis of a Government Of the people and for
the people. 1t set up the old doctrine of
vested rirtlege in the wealthy, and denies
practically the equal rights ofshe people. The
setting up Of an educational qualification, is
an equal departure from fundamental princi-
pie, and goes upon the same idea that a
privileged class alone is entitled to rule the
masses. And moral, religious or physician
qualification imposed as an essential eondi-
frage. is an equally vicious an unjusti6abls
departure from the Fundamental principle 81
equality Of right proclaimed BY onr fathers.
And while the State, or majority of the
people of State. have the porr and may
exercise il, to prohibit others IF their fellow
citizens from the exercise Of the right Of
suffrage for lack Of property Of education Of
religion, Of motal character or physical
characteristics resulting from race or nativity,
they exercise their naked power in deroga-
ton Of the fundamental rights Of man, and in
violation Of the essential principle Of free
institutions.
--4
"A istiC WY, alhiAtu 0ASlca uA6 ulou al
Whitehall, N. r., PARALYSIS induced BY lay,
ing his ear on the rails Of the railroad track,
while his companions would pound The rails
with stones. By this means sharp ringing
sound was produced, completely deafenng
the listeners for moment--in fact, the boys
called is playing deafening. II seemed to
have greater effect on Mr.. Davis boy han
on the others, for, as he stated alter no was
taken sick, the deafeniag wonld sometimes
last for half an hour. he was finally taken
with = dreadful rain IN The Had. terminating
in paralysis Of one side OF the head and
throat,
ALL the wealth and intelligence Of the
State are for Seymour and Blair. Rebel Pa
pr.
Yes, and all the conseript enrolling officers
and al the 1.-THE COLLECTORS and III tho op-
pressing agents Of the ConfedyfAts SaAxss are
for Seymour. and Bl1if Tie honest,
h0eA vpceLs ~aory~ - -NeA 3arn,A1 soA.