National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-01-31

mark of progress among civilized govern
ments. He decries the democracy a. ''mak-
ing PA simile which will be understood
by printers as meaning the chaos of types
which occurs when . "form" is accident
ally knocked into pieces Out of this ''pi
he does not believe anything goodcan come.
He is compelled to acknowledge, however.
that the integral portions Of cpl average
in the matter of intelligence-superfcial
though it may be-far above the integral
portions of any other form of government.
Strange as it may seem, he finds in this re-
markablc intelligence cause for serious re-
greet. Like Mr.. Jennings, he thinks that
we have taken the government from the
capable few and given it to the people, and
that the people are incapable of providing
laws for themselves. He insists that the
laboring masses should only be provided
with work, with the Lords Prayer and the
Ten Commandments. He argues that they
must work for living any way, and asks,
why, then, should they unsettle their
mindsf The inference is that education
win unfit men for useful work. Here we
have in nutshell the belief on which such
men as Mr.. Froude and Mr.. Jennings base
their political creeds. In other words, they
believe that . portion of the human race
was intended by Providence to labor for the
benefit of others to remain. stagnant as
regards Intellectual progress, and that to
enlighten them would be not only to dis
turb their contented condition, but to over
throw government itself Ignorance, in
their opinion, is absolutely requisite as the
basis of successful government For this
reason, no doubt, Mr.. Jeanings was in
duced, five years ago, to place himself on
record against negro suffrage. He did this
at time, it must be remembered, when
the experiment of negro suffrage had hardly
been fairly tried in this country. and when
his only experience, if such it may be
called, was necessarily based upon the
exercise of the right Of suffrage by white
men alone. Tansplanted as he suddenly
had been from England to America, it is
not to be wondered at that he compared the
result of American with the result of Eng
lish elections, and it is not surprising that
with his views Of the policy of according
the right Of suffrage to the laboring classes
he should have thus made record directly
and unequivocally against the first and
most prominent tenet of Republican faith:
but it is surprising that in the "five years"
which have elapsed since he made this
record he should have so remarkably
changed opinions as now to support the
great principle of universal suffrage Per-
haps he still believes in his own heart that
the capable few should rule the Govern
ment, and that the incapable many should
be content with work, with the Lords
Prayer" and the "Tcn Commandments.
1t may strike many of our readers as strange
that the lesson of those Commandment"
should be UNDECIDED by him, for one Of
them teaches us to Glove our neighbors as
we do ourselves" and unless we agree that
this lesson shall lie construed differently
for different classes of people, it means that
every man shall enjoy equal privileges with
those of his race. The experience of this
Government during the century of its ex-
istence furnishes proof of the soundness of
the theory of universal suffrage. Its Ad- |
have not always been what
they should have been, but looking back in |
the light of unimpassioned history to the |
several Presidential elections we cannot |
deny that the popular decision has been
Perhaps it is this fact that has |
induced Mr.. Jennings TO change his mind. |
1t cannot be disputed that base corruption |
has at times worked an evil influence in the
conduct of our affairs; but it is equally plain
hat we have not been subjected to such in
fiuences any more than "Great Britain"
has under a system of restricted suffrage.
At the same time it must be conceded that
he virtue Of the people has asserted itsel"
in procuring the unexampled punishment
Of political and public offenders. This may
be- another reason why "Mr. Jennings"
has changed his mind, or it may be that he
has been Influenced to that change by
'ordid motives of gain. To say the least,
It is strange that within the short period of
70 five years he should so divest himself
Of the results of the teachings of his pre-
ViOus life as TO he able to advocate now q
set of principles with which he was then at
war. But this is an age of miracles, and it
'eems that our English cousins are not be-
1ond its influence