The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1875-07-31
ESTABLISHED, 1919,

11 1.
hut we might restrict the right Of
suffrage 10 those who give some
evidence that they have u porma.
ncnt interest IN the government.
Suppose the constitution 10 amend.
cd that the following clSssoa "Shall
bc deemed qualified electors"
LIST. All male persons heretofore
registered as electors under the
constitution of 1869.
2nd. Hereafter no other persons
shall be permitted to register or
vote unless they have the following
qualifications:
LIST. Freeholders in the State.
2nd. Ablo to read and write I'M
less the inability to read or write
shall result from physical defects
after The person has once learned to
read and write.
Sd. Residence Of two years in the
State aud one in the county where
the vote is offered.
4th. The elector, if challenged
shall be able to prove payment of
taxes assessed the previous year.
9th. No person Shall be permitted
to vote who has been convicted Of
theft of the grade Of felony, perjury,
swindling, embezzlement or for
gerry.
II am well aware that such re-
strictions may not be popular. Dem
agogues will howl against them.
Franklin's anecdoto in opposition
to property qualification will be
repeated. The passions Of that
dangerous "body without head"
the unthinking mob, will be ap-
pealed to in opposition.
"Yet, alter all has been said, we
will find sober, rejecting mon set
tling down to the conclusion that
the adoption of such restrictions
upon the right of suffrage ut least
embody the offer of aslight reward
to tho poor man who becomes am
bilious to acquire n home and edu-
cate himself and children.
"Statistics show that our jails and
penitcntlary are mainly filled from
the ranks of the illiterate and non
freeholding class. 1t is seldom
that reading freeholder gets into
Jail. A reading farmer is not by |
nature, but most assuredly IS by !
force Of surrounding circumstances, n
better man. better citizen, and far
more reliable neighbor than one Of
the ignorant and floating class o.
our population.
"To sum up in n few my words,
IDEAS upon the two subjects Of edu-
cation and suffrage: would have
the State furnish every possible IA
ciity to the poorest citizen to cdu-
cato his children, and in the future
| would place tho control of the
Government in the hands of those
best qualified to govern, and most
interested in the Government"
In the main, we heartily approve
of the above suggestions. The great
curse of our system of government
IS universal su il'rage, and here is n
practical method of restricting it to
those classes of society who have an
interest in the country, and sufli-
cicnt intelligence to understand the
duties and privileges of citizenship.
Investing vagabonds with these
privileges is fast bringing our coun-
try to ruin.
We are glad to see that Mr.. Miner
approves the suggestion of The
HERALD that there should be two
Supreme Courts, one civil, tho other
criminal, consisting each of three
Judges, located at the Capital of the
State. He thinks, and we agree
with him, that "a Supreme Court
on wheels was suited to the days of
horseback travel, but now there is
no excuse for holding at different
places"
We regret we are unable, for the
want Of space, to give the letter en-
tire, rs barring the writers mis-.
statement of the Democratic posi-
ton, on the subject Of common
schools, it is an admirable one. But
it puzzles us to understand how
such fair and statcsmanlike views
could emanate from member, as
we suppose the author to be, of the
Radical Republican party Of Texas.