Los Angeles daily herald. [volume] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1873-1876, 1874-02-18
shall we muzrle the cities !?


power has, in some cases, been turned
to advantage by corruptionists, has
led that class Of enthusiasts who think
that all tire evils incident to civiliza-
ton can at once be corrected by an
act of the Legislature, to propose that
people living in cities shall, in mea-
sure, be disfranchised.
Experience has shown that such
projects are mischievous, and always
result in injury to the cause of good
government; but enthusiasts never
consult such an old-fashioned guide as
experience, and theories have more
weight with them than facts.
The fundamental principle of free
government is the absolute equality of
the people before the law, and every
departure from this idea has resulted
disastrously. There are undoubtedly
states of society in which nothing but
q despotic government can succeed;
but we DO not remember of any at
tempt on the part of a Republican
government to ride despotically overa
portion of its people that has met
with encouraging success. The very
incongruity of such an attempt will
always defeat the intention. The
idea of declaring to the world that we
are free people, and then coolly pro-
posing to disfranchise large portion
of our people because they reside in
cities, or are engaged in banking, is so
absurd that it never will, for any con-
siderable length of time, receive the
favorable consideration of thinking
people.
How to manage the large element in
our cities, that through ignorance, or
want of sympathy with our institu-
tons, are constant menace to good
order, is problem that cannot be
solved at once. Certain it is that any
legislation savoring of prescription
will make the matter worse.
acknowledgment, directed as it was
against the hordes of ignorant for
eigners collected in the great Eastern
cities, seems to the superficial observer
necessary precaution against the
flood of ignorance and vice that Eu-
rope was daily pouring on our shores,
but the sober sense of the American
people soon saw that the principle was
false one, and it was buried beneath
the condemnation of public opinion.
So with the demand for a property
qualification, and with the Massachu-
sets idea of making education test.
The great difficulty in limiting the
right of suffrage and representation is
that no one knows where it will STOP
fla property qualification is demanded,
and many apparently sound arguments
may be urged in its favor, there are
just as good and even better reasons
for making the possession of million
dollars necessary to entitle a man to
vote, as hundred. If education, then
there is just as much latitude.
Coming down to the latest phase of
the theory that while Republican in
situations in the main are all right.
but that there are cases in which it is
unsafe to stand by them, and that the
jewellers in great cities are one of the
dangerous classes that ought to be
muzzled, we find the same difficulty
presenting itself. The dividing line
cannot be drawn. If it is necessary to
the safety Of Los Angeles county that
its 10000 inhabitants should have an
equal representation with San Fran
cisco's 10000, then the farmers can
urge with equal force that the safety
of their interests dem ands that the
city of Los Angeles shall be muzzled.
The dense population of the city over
comes the scattering population in the
country, and to correct this the ceun-
try folks can properly ask that their
uncultivated acres should be counted
against our votes.
In San Bernardino county the argu-
ment would apply with still greater
force. 1t has a vast extent of unset
tied territory, but the bulk of the pop
ulation is in the town of san Bernar-
dino.
Now if three representatives We're APP
portioned to that county, the town
would on the basis of population, be
entitled to two of them, but on the
principle ofgiving territory the pre-
ponderance, the country would take
the two, and voter on farm is more
than equal to two voters in the town.
But there is no reason that can be
urged in favor of making territory q
basis of representation, that will not
apply with greater force to wealth and
business interests. If San Bernardino
can point to its expanse of land and
say this should offset $4,000 people in
San Francisco, Los Angeles can with.
greater force urge that her orange or
chards and bands of sheep are as valu-
able to the State, and should be count
ed as factors, in determining the ratio
of represention. The people would
cease to be the controlling element in
our government, and an aristocracy
founded on wealth would take the
place of our democratic institutions.
THAT disinterested Sanborn is anx-
ious to compromise, and if let off will