Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-15
THE NEED FOR SMALLER VOTING
PRECINTS.

all despoIlc, Wnue we muse iOOh AIMING
the rowing tribes for the germs of lib
erty. 1t was when Rome began to
count her population by millions, that
she lost her republican traditions and
entered on the career of corruption.
All the latter republics that have
proved their vitality by their perma-
nence, Switzerland, Andorra, San Ma
rino, are growths of sparse population.
The magnificent Venetian republic died
with the death of its commerce, for
want of that balance-wheel to ambition,
a sturdy, conservative yeomanry. Our
own history sadly illustrates the same
tendency of human nature. A century
ago, with a sparse population, scattered
from Maine to Georgia, our forefathers
enjoyed an era of purity and
manly freedom, which Sir William
Pitt likened to the palmy days
of early Greece. VIII the like of that
grand era ever re-appear among u.s.
With denser population have come
usurpation and corruption, in fright
fully accelerating ratio of late years.
At the same time, the denser cities
have become the foci of denser COR
ruption. With the panorama of history
before us, supplemented by our self-ex-
perience and observation, the unpleas-
ant query is suggested: 1t is then I'M
possible for a people to grow In num-
bers and wealth, except at the sacrifice
of political freedom and purity? Is it
impossible to have manufactures with
out monopoEes, and railroads without
rascalities? We have heard staunch
Jeffersonian Democrat affirmhis opinion
that New York city cannot be safely
governed by the simple pure forms of
republican government that prove
ample in rural districts; he argued that
stronger government than any which
could be evolved from the ballot
box was necessary to the
well-being of society in such dense popu-
lation. Views of this sort have led
many thinking men to doubt the doc
trine of universal suffrage. But this
is the cornerstone OF our institutions,
the one great American tradition,
which can never be upset without sue
cessive generations of bloodshed. We
have to fight it out on this line till the
crack of doom. Our destiny as peo-
pie must be worked out on this basis.
When we press our New York friend,
we find he has little tenable ground for
his opinion. He confesses freely that,
even in that great hive of humanity,
the honest, well-meaning and unpur-
chasable voters far outnumber the evil
disposed. This being VIGOROUSLY true,
it follows that the strict application of
the democratic majority rule ought to
work out a good government, strong IN
the support of the honest majority.
How to apply democratic forms to
dense population and preserve their
purity, is a coming problem in this
country, which has hitherto received
little attention. As one great help to-
wards its solution, We would suggest
reform much needed in some
parts of Tennessee as well as elsewhere.
As population becomes denser, we need
ryn1afler voting precincts. IT IS difficult
to preserve the purity of ballot boxes
containing thousands of votes. 1t is
equally difficult to secure the full vote
of such a precinct. 1t is precisely the
honest, industrious, busy classwho can
Tot spare hours to wait their turn IN
the crowd, while the drones of society
and the purchasable voters have ample
leisure. In the country large voting
districts involve a similar disadvantage.
1t is the Industrious farmer, and not
the idler, who finds it onerous to 60
miles to the polls. In Nashville, for
instance. we have booths which poll a
thousand votes. This is entirely too
large for safety or purity. The falsif-
cation of one such box, could change
the returns of the entire city or coun-
ty. 1t is too great a temptation to
place before human nature. Again,
no two or three or a dozen chal-
lengers. are at all likely
to be acquainted with such
a host of voters. This difficulty is in
creased by the large proportion of col
ored men, whose names and habita-
tons are evanescent. We have a law
limiting the voter to his own district or
ward. 1t is practically imperative in
such heavy polls. Hence opportunities
for imported voters and repeaters. We
are without the help afforded by regis
tration in other States. But registra-
ton is only help, and not substi-
tute for personal acquaintance, because,
without the latter, the most glaring
frauds may creep in unchallen ged.
Personal knowledge is the only means
for either detecting or bringing to pun
ishment frauds in registration or at the
ballot-box. Hence no voting district
should be SO large that well-selected
line of challengers may not be acqualnt-
cd with all the voters. The new con-
stitution of Pennsylvania has clause
bearing on this subject, but we think
it does not 90 far enough. Its opera
tion is limited 70 cities of over one
hundred thousand inhabitants,
and it requires that any pre-
cinct polling over two hundred and
fifty votes, shall be divided. Our En-
eIish ancestors appreciated this matter
a thousand years ago, dividing them
selves into hundreds" 1t is only by
such subdivisions, bringing the ballot
box to every mans door, that a full
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