The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1875-09-21

from the consent of the governed;D
whereas the reform proposed agrees
with hat theory. The man without
family, by his vote, gives the consent
of only one-his Su consent; where
rs the head of a family consents not
only for himself, but Tire household,
which he governs. Therefore, unless
the head OF the family have a greater
voice than the man without family,
the consent of the hOusehOld-fhe
consent OF all the u and child
rem of the countTy-goes for nothing
at all in making up the consent Of the
governed.
But the question arises, what effect
would this reform have in great
cities: Take Chicago, again, for ex-
ample. Suppose the provisions l have
mentioned were adopted Tor some
better Ones) To prevent fraud at the
elections, how would this double vote
by the heads of families operate in
that city. Can any man doubt il
would tend to place control over the
elections in the hands of those most
deeply Interested la the good govern
memt of the city?
Any head of n family, l rare not
how humble he may he, desires such
a police and such ii government that
his wife and children may, at any
time, by day or night, walk the
streets with safety. 1t is with him IA
constant, ever-present anxiety and
duty To do all he can to nave il so;
while the man without family thinks
and cares little for n police so long as
he takes rare Of himself, and has no
one else To care for.
1t has been doubted By some.
whether, in a republic perfectly or.
ganiZed, any but heads of families
should vote ut all. They urge that,
in the beginning, and IN the very ma
ture of things, the family is the polit-
ical unit uf human society.
Within the family government is
not pontical, il Is purely domestic.
The home Is II castle, within which
human laws do not enter. Within
that the laws of God as stamped upon
the very constitution of man, govern.
Man and Woman together make up
man. Each is the complement of
the Other-neither without the other
complete. Man and oma i'm the
holy relation of marriage, are both
required To make up the full idea of
man-male aud iemale; AS God Gre
aied them. From that relation, and
in that relation, the coming genera
lions are reared. Therefore il is that
in the family, the home, under the
roof which shelters the hours of sleep
and infancy, Is found the true basis of
human society. Into that little king.
dom no one can enter except by per-
mission; and if any enter, 80 long as
they remain under that roof, how
ever humble, they are subject, by the
laws of God and man, to the head eff
the family.
Heads of families, therefore, have
natural rights, which, in the organi-
zatiun Of government, should be res
pected and defended.
In some Of the New England colo
mics, where, under township goveru-
ments. our republican system grew,
II was provided, when City families
formed Il settlement in some new
town, they could be organized. Fifty
heads of families, assembled in town
meeting. constituted a little republic
with certain political powers. One
hundred heads of families had still
greater powers. But in these repub-
lies, growing up from nature, none
but The heads of families had any
voice III pOllllCtI aIfdlfS.
England, in the great reform of
1865, IN extending suffrage, stopped
with hOusehOlderS, thus recognizing
the household as the true basis of DO
litical society.
Some may say the reform / pro-
pose would induce men to marry to
become the heads Of families. That is
true; and because true, il is one of the
strongest reasons in its favor.
That such regulations as l have
named in the early colonies tended to
early and happy marriages there is
no doubt; for IN those days almost all
young men and women were mar
ried before they were %. They be-
came the heads of families; their
happy homes were blessed and the
country is blessed with what is worth
more than gold and diamonds, o
than houses and lands-many, nan
noble children, with strong minds
and brave hearts in strong bodies, to
become the men and women who
have made country what it is
the light and glory of the world.
Ladies and gentlemen, ifthe reform
proposed does tend to build up
families, and hold out a most power
full incentive to induce early marriage,
that certainly is no reason against it.
A republic does not consist of houses
and furniture, porticos and public
places; hut of men and women in
happy and independent homes.
Let me call to mind that the an
cient republics in their better days
favored early marriage-giving it
honor and power. They went so far
as to punish celibacy.
In the Roman republic, husbands
and fathers had extensive privileges,
"and married men who had the most
children" says MOntesquieu, "were
always preferred, whether in the pur-
suit or in the exercise of honors."
The consul who had the most chill