New-York tribune., 1876-12-30
,NTFJLJGENT SUFFRAGE.

seems disposed to enter at present. lhis may
he because the Presidential succession Is the
aIl-absorbing political topic, from which puDlc
attention cannot be drawn, or it may be De-
cause it il a knife that cuts both ways
neither party having a perfectly clear record
upon it. If the Republicans are re-
sponsible, as it cannot be denied they
are. for the extension of suffrage un-
restricted by any intelligence test 10
the Southern negroes so also are the
Democrats on record in every State in the
North where this restriction has been sought,
in determined and solid opposition to 1T. And
vet this is obviously the question that lies
very near if not nearest the bottom OF all inc
present political complication. The most
troublesome factor in the whole problem, the
one that has given us most anxiety ana mas
been the cause of the most bitterness and vio-
lence, and perhaps of the most corruption ana
fraud. ia this vast mass of ignorant black
voters at the South. What might hap
pen if it should be eliminated ls
not within the province OF ponticai as
cussSion at the present time. We nave IT,
cannot get rid of 1t, and may as well make
the best of it. If it was a mistake to invest
the ignorant blacks with the ballot, we can
correct it now by divesting them, not OF the
ballot but of their ignorance. That is the
only remedy for what is past. AS for the
future, we shall not be wise if we
neglect to take such prudent forethought
in matter of so great Importance,
as experience plainly cniOlns. President
Grant in his last message directed the atten-
ton of Congress to the subject. After giving
it as his opinion that the remedy for existing
difficulties is % in the enlightenment OF electors"
he says-and we believe it is the only specific
recommendation in the message" The com
"pulsory support Of the free schools and the
disfranchisement of all who cannot read ana
"write the English language after fixed pro-
"bation would meet my hearty approval" TO
this he adds the qualification which answers
the obvious objection which would imme-
diately arise-"I would not make this apply,
"however, to those already voters, but would
"to all becoming so after the expiration OF the
"probation fixed upon" This suggestion in
the message has, so far as we have seen. 1t
commented on, been very iav0rably received.
We do not indeed recall word of opposition
to it from any quarter The Southern Demo
Gratis naturally enough favor ii, and the Re
publicans are wise enough and sagaciOuS enough
TO see that their own party strength Is III the
intelligence and not in the ignorance OF the
masses.
A recent letter 20 THE TRIBUNE from The
Rev. DR.. Bacon of Ncw-lIaven recalled public
attention to the subject, and to-day another
correspondent corrects an erroneous I'M
preston conveyed by Dr. Bacon's com
munication, and furnishes some interesting and
pertinent extracts from the speeches made IN
the Senate upon the occasion of the passage
of the act giving the suffrage to the freedmen
in the District of Columbia. DR.. Bacon
seems TO have been in error in attributing
the defeat Of the intelligence test 10 a
union of Democrats with extreme Republicans,
as the writer of the present communication
shows very clearly from the record, Mr.
Salisbury of Delaware being the only Demo
crat in the Senate who voted against 1t. The
extracts from the speech of Senator Foster of
Connecticut present as clear and cOgcnt an
argument in favor Of the measure a. WAS
brought out during the debate. Both Senators
from Connecticut, Messrs Foster and Dixon,
spoke in favor of the restriction. IL SO hap
pened that both these gentlemen were mem
bers of the Connecticut Legisature-0ne being
Speaker of the House and the other State
Scnator-which took the first steps toward
the adoption of an amendment to the Consh-
tuition of that State similar in terms to the
proposed restrictive clause in the District of
Columbia bill; so that they were entirely
consistent in urging the same restriction in
the latter case which they had previously ad-
vOcated in their own State. Portions of Mr.
Fosters speech show that that gentleman
foresaw with more clearnesS than many of
his political associates the danger of intruSt-
ing the ballot to the ignorant and unin-
formed. lie was one of the few who
looked beyond the immediate OCCASION. and
based his action upon what he considered
would he the ultimate effect of the measure
eve are not making" he said, "a law for one
year or for two years. bnt we are making a
claw which we ought to consider perpetual
" q rule for voters not merely in this District
"but one which ought to be safe and saIutary
if adopted throughout the United States"
The event seems to have justified the Senator's
action to some extent certainly; for however
men may differ as to the means which have
been used on either side to influence this
large unntelligent vote, all are agreed that it
has been the source and cause Of great mis-
chief
And yet, though all this be true, it must not
be forgotten that the circumstances under
which the acts were passed which conferred
suffrage upon the freedmen with no restriction
as to intelligence were far different from the
present What looks like a blunder in the
changed conditions Of to-day may have been,
and did seem to some of the most patriotic
and sagaclous men in public life in 1867,
the highest wisdom. The whole question was