Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1875-03-25
Rutland pailp aerala.
the DANCERS OF UNIVERSAL
SUFFRAGE,

The DANCERS OF uNIvE RSAL
SUFFRAGE.
A distinguishing feature OF our Ameri.
can policy is the granting OF the suffrage
10 much larger class Of individuals
than possess it in any other country.
Nearly every citizen who has arrived al
years OF discretion is in the United States
i voter. The ladies are, of course, ex-
cepted bnt that question is large one
by itself, and has nothing to do with the
one which we have in mind. so that we
do not propose 20 discuss it. This wide
extension 81 the suffrage has been termed
one of the corner stones Of the republic,
and the great safeguard of the liberties of
the people, and rightly managed il nn-
doubtedly is 40. Few human institutions
are so perfect in character that in all
their workings they produce only good,
sad so this palladium of our liberties
may, and often does, bring about results
that are not of kind on which good
citizens look with complacency. The
wisdom of hestowing the ballot indis-
criminately upon all, whether wise or
ignorant, has been often questioned.
The ideal voter is man conscious of
ehe magnitude of the trust reposed in
aim, Intelligent, TO be able to have a
correct understanding of the affairs
which he is to help decide, and honest,
20 give his vote according 10 his con-
yictions thus intelligently formed. With
voters of this character there is no dan
ger that the wheels of the body polite
will not move smoothly. Some errors
may be fallen into, but the people will
be quick 20 see and correct them. Such
we believe 10 be essentially the charac-
ter of the majority of the voters of this
eountfy Mistakes may be made, but as
soon as possible the mischief will be IN
done.
Wherever in the course Of oar history |
there has been trouble we believe this |
lack of intelligence and honesty, aud
consequent inability to rightly direct
public affairs will he found at the root
of the whole matter. Had the whole |
voting population of the South been as
well educated and upright as our New
England yeomanry, does any one think
that the leaders would have been able
to plunge us into the civil war Again,
the problem of reconstruction has been
how to treat the negro, He was not tit
for the ballot. 1t was giyento him as I
choice of evils, and wise men have since
questioned the wisdom of the choice,
His total lack of experience in civil af' 4
fairs and even in self-government, con-
sequent upon his previous condition,
and his more than childish ignorance,
often make him the tool of designing
schemers. And yet on the whole the
decision was wise one. The negro
with the ballot Is a vastly more import
ant person than without, and more like
ly to become good citizen. AS the
late Horace used to say ''the way to
resumption is to resume;' and so under
the peculiar circumstances the safest
cOnrSC seemed 10 be the one which was
taken, and yet history shows that this
path h&s not been entirely free from
thorps. Here again, had the voting
population Of the South, both white and |
black, been up 10 the standard which we
have given above, should we have been
obliged 10 chronicle the sad events of |
the past three or four years?
But neither have we in the north been
free from The evils entailed npon an
illiteratc voting population. Hundreds
of thousands OF men are yearly landed |
upon our shores ignorant of the very |
first principles of government. They are
just the tools which are wanted by de-
signing men. They are put through the
naturalization mill post haste aud hence |
forward vote in squads at the word of /
command Of some Pot.house politician. |
time, with free drinks and perhaps some |
thing more substantial: The boy" are
always TO be depended on. they make |
holiday of election and vote ''early |
and often The better class of men
cannot or viii not: always come 10 the
polls, and thus ign0railce has more than |
lis propOr,ional power Fhe natural re- /
suits of this state Of things may be seen
in all our large elites, where Che igno-.
rant and vicious most docopltrrgtaie and |
especially in New Yots. - lf5 |
We In Vermont are in comparatively |
little danger from This element in the |
political world, brt: even hrre.it crops
out sometimes in,a way that is not
pleasant In more than. one OF The re-
cent "MarCh meetings Of :ear different
towns it has gone So far. as to
become even rioiotls. There is some
thing in The Vermont atmospheric which |
il rot favorable 10 such demonstrations, \
but there is another way in which the |
same element makes itself felt. 1.-The
boys" are power in politice, and for the
sake OF currying favor with them, some
men will advocate and vote for meas
-lres that they would otherwise not think
of advocating. An instance has come
TO our knowledge which occurred at the |
last town meeting in Pittsford A few
months since, eight or ten young men of
that town were arrested. tried and con-
yicted of Drunkenness and disturbance
of the peace, their fines and costs
amounting in the aggregate to :.ssrne
sf25. The result of this was hailed |