, 1874-05-30
SUFFRAGE.

!. SUFFRAGE.
TO Tho Edffo: Of The chtcaao Tribune:
SIN 30 long as tho prosB, like tho politician,
was. tho slave Of party, honest mon might wo1l
despair Of the Republic. doubt not that Ii is
tho honest conviction of every Intelligent man III
| America that tho groat, and utmost tho only,
danger which mcnacos tho 8tablity Of our instl-
| tutions, Is tho existence OF universal, unro-
slrictod suffrage; and that this under-curront Of
American thought has not found utterance by
ten thousand tongues in all parts Of tho land, is
proof Of tho doplorablc dependence Of tho nd-
vidunl upon public opinion. This deapieabia
submission to the tyranny of the majority is due
mainly to tho influence of parties, and to tho
mastery which dcmagogucs exercise over
the councils aud cancuseB OF partios. Tho
man wloso beings aim and end /" Ia
| Office. and whose hopes aro bound up in tho
SUCCESS OF his party would sooner commit opon
trcason to tho State than harbor an unpopular
sentiment.
| We'll may tho American pooplo tlank God and
take courage therefore, In view of tue faot that,
III these 1ato years, the abost, tho most respect
ablo, md tho most wido1y-oiroulstod newspapers
| In all the. largor cities have thrown OF tho
shackles Of party. They have reaHon to bo
thankful, also. that tho wealth and consequence
which attach to independent journalism begin
to bo appreciated as IN equivalent Of tho high
gonerally " obtaiuod without merit" a,d often,
though not always "lost without q crime"
Mr.. Emerson, in ono Of his brilliant egsays,
predicts =; an ,.,t eru .,. or political allion-
government u and Mr.. Jefferson seems to havs
looked forward to something of tho samo kind,
as may be infcrrcd from his oft-ropeated senti-
nlent. that ho would prefor the rule Of news
ornmont without newspapers. These may seom
to bo tho moro waking dreams Of two mon Of
gonius; aud, at my rate, their realization must
be long way OF. But. II tho haloyon period
oned public opinion will be equal to tho task
Of preserving peace and order in socioty mud to
tho yindication of tho rights Of tho individual,
thero can bo no question that one chief instr,,-
suoh state Of things will be the independent
press. All hail. then, to the now mud rising
power which III destined to dsthrouo domagog-
ism
But, for tho present, men must protect
themselves bohiud the barrier IL Of positive
law aud written fundamental constit utlons;
aud first IN Importance is tbs
suffrage question. It ia ono OF the problems
which enlightened and patriotic men 1nuat solve.
and that before inary years shall elapso. or aur-
rondor oil hope Of preserving, not the Republic
| norely, but Liborty itaof. Intelligent men,
in the madness Of despair, already talk Of ac-
cepting imperialism, or the absolute rule Of ono
man, ~ tho only modo Of escape from tile baH-
and brokon-down doniagogues themselves, who
cherish Buch thoughts; but. they ure mono tho
less capable and ready to become tho instru-
meuts OF any daring uBurper.
But la there remedy against tho evil ten
dencies OF tho times? I nm not ono Of those
who despair Of tho Nepuhlic. It ia only necoa-
sary to arouse the attention Of tho respectable
classes to tho danger, in order 10 provide against
| take away suffrage from thoso who now enjoy
| tho privilege: but I SOC no reason why 1t may
not 10 limited in qRantity ~ well ne improved III
] quality. John Stuart All1, in his admirable
! he is q high authority with English Al
| we'll MS American RatcAls-layB down two condi-
tions Of suffrage which ho insfsts should DO in
dispensable. These are capacity to read mud
| blunt!y, that to allow non-tuxpayer to vote is
to allow him to thrust Ills hand into other peo-
| plos pockets.
There Is this to be said, however, in favor Of
tho right OF eyory man to vote; that liberty is Of
more valuo than any amount Of property md
that, II the suffrage 10 necessary to defend
property, it is still moro necessary for tic de-
| fenBo OF liberty.
There seems to be but ono solution OF the
| problem, how to protect both liberty and prop
| erty, therefore. It ia by providing in tho fun
| da1eutul low for the rouroBontution Of nersonn
| in QUO branch Of the Lec;ajaturn anI of
| property In tie othor. Undor .ueh = nvafem
] il viii be Impossible for o;ther ciasn ~
| society to TROUGH on tho rights of thu
| other. Tho on-proporty-LoIder would be NJ
we'll protected iu Lis rigl,ts by a yoto for n1o,-
Lors Of one branch rs for boib and tia nronnr.
ty-Aoldors wou|d bo as secure Of tLeir rjpi,ts hy
tie exclusive control Of ono branoh Of tlla Toeia.
laturo an OF both. Nay, moro so, Tor tho roason
tint tho monopoly OF all power in tho 8tato bv
| revolution, by which aIl nav Lo lost ~
Tic distribution Of powor hore Indicated ia no
untriod experiment. It was nut in practice in
177G by tho btato Of North Carolina. and was