Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-09-22

pun i'iVT treasure.
Hon. James II. poolittle addressed
tho Wincbago, Qll.) County Fair. lie
advanced some very novel ideas in re-
gard to elections. 10 prevent frauds.
lie suggested that the name and resi-
dence of every voter should DO in
dorsed upon his ticket and publicly
announced by the judges ofelcciion at
the time he voted, and that large
building or tent should DO provided
in which the voters could assemble
In connection with this, he would
have the precincts made so small that
they could easily assemble together.
lie argues in favor of the public ballot
and advances the novel idea, of what
he terms household suffrage. We
quote from his remarks, taken from
the Chicago journal, az follows:
Besides, the open ballot publicly
given shows courage, manhood, free
dom. 1t tends to make men worthy
TO be free.
But, gentlemen there is another
great reform in suffrage, which, az ]
think. all thoughtful men should favor.
HOUSEHOLD SUFFRAGE.
When fully considered in all it's
bearings il viii. | believe, command
the assent Of the great majority of all
political parties. 1t will do more than
any other one thing to bring good
government 10 our large cities, by
placing il upon the true basis of human
society.
We have adopted in all the States
universal manhood suffrage. The re-
form suggested accepts that. and does
not propose TO change it. II. however.
recognizes the most essential element
of modern Ckrisiian civilization the
family--fta% rryfft~..saats -slat4es-@ anst its
powers.
1t proposes tneuiya to householders
and heads of families who, for snch
time as shall be fixed by law--sav one
or two years--have lived with and
supported their families in the district
where they vote, two votes-one 10
represent their manhood IN common
with all other men. and ono TO repre-
sent the household. including women
and children. The term householder
or head OF family-in the great ma
jority of cases viii. Of coHrse, mean
married men but not in oil cases. As,
for instance. 8 man may be the head OF
family or householder whose widow
mother or sister keeps house.
The reasons why head Of a family
shonld have double vote when men
without families have but one, may be
briefly stated as follows:
/. Because tho man without family
represents but one human being, while
the head of "A family represents always
two, and generally more.
.. Because man without family
has not more than one-hali az much at
stake in good government rs The head
of a family.
>. Because, other things equal, the
man without family is only half as
well educated in all that concerns the
good of society as the head OF a family
living with them and supporting them
by his own eXertions.
4. Because the man without family
has had little, If any. experience in
governing in human society; whereas
the head of family, by the laws of
God and of man, is trained to govern.
In the family the man is king, aud the
woman is queen. 1t is little nation
by itself. Within its government all
human beings arc reared. trained and
governed for twenty-one years-half-
and more than half, of the average
years of human life--thosc years dur
ing which character is formed and
children are nodded into men and wo-
men. Is there single man without
family who now hears me who does
not feel the truth of all this? la there
one who will not frankly say so?
Some persons favor property quail
fications, especially in cities. But that
will be found neither practical nor
possible nor does it agree with onr
theory THAT government derives its
Just powers not from prope3yI hut
from the consent of the governed;'
whereas the reform proposed agrees
with that theory. The man without
family, by his vote, gives the consent
of one only-his own consent: WHARF
as the head OF q family consents not
only for himself, but for the household
which he governs. Therefore, unloss
the head of the family have greater
voice than the man without family,
the consent of the hoEsehola--thc con-
sent Of all the women and children of
the conntry-goes for nothing at all in
making up the consent of the govern
ed"
There are in circulation to-day, of
paper CURRENCY %Tfq $40 ITO. which in