The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-12-31
The Chicago Times Oh the Sovereign
People.

HAYES has INDUCED few touches OF the
customary flapdoodle wherewith dema-
sogues are wont to tickle the "dear peo-
pie He says that the free enjoyment Of
all the privileges of electors by the Senegam-
bianS is IN object every dear to his heart,'
because, he says, we cannot otherwise
"safely hope TO hand down our free insti-
tutions Of government unimpaired to the
generations that will succeed u.s." Re-
commencing heavier taxation to sup
port Government schools, he informs
Us that the ultimate settlement Of
all questions OF the future, whether
OF administration. or finance, or true
nationality of sentiment, depends uDon the
virtue and intelligence OF the people. 1t is
vain to hope for the success OF free gov
crnmcnt without the means Of insuring the
intelligence OF those who are the source of
power. No less than one seventh Of the en-
tire yotin. population of our country are
vet unable to read and write" We have
heard much OF this sort OF tl9addle before.
In truth, we have been dosed with it to
nauSeation. 1t is time to protest against
any more OF it. 1t is time to demand that
somebody shall step to the front and tell us
of what possible use it is for any more than
six seventhS-nay, for any more than one
seventh-of the "voting population OF
this country to be able to read and write.
The whole office OF an American elector is
to vote for somebody. With the selection
OF the person to be voted for he has
nothiuS 10 do That &c tho vince VI tho
party cuucus-"the machine (which can
be supposed to consist land which Reiormer
John Mattocks thinks ought to consist) CT
the one seventh who can read and write.
The voters cannot change the selection
t,1,, l,n a III
ton law has provided against that. EX-
cepting those who compose the machine, the
voters have no liberty to exercise all intelli-
gentjudgment in the delivery Of their votes;
they have only to choose between the cam
didates elected by the educated scalawags
OF this machine, or by the educated scala
ways of that machine. Such choice pre-
scnts little occasion for the exercise OF in
tclligence. A man unable to read and write
can make rs intelligent choice between
candidate A and candidate Booth I'M
known uuantitles-as can the most accom-
plshed scholar in the land.
One of the political delusions with which
American voters are bamboozled by dema-
gogucs is that they, the "people," hold
and exercise the political sovereignty, the
supreme CONCLUSIVE power of decision upon
political questions; or, Us MIR. Hayes puts
it, "the ultimate settlement Of all questions
OF the future" The assumption that the
settlement OF political questions for good or
for i'll depends upon the virtue and intelli-
gence OF the people implies that the people
hold the power OF sovereign decision upon
such questions. But the fundamental law
(Which Mr.. Hayes so much admires) arbi-
trarily forbids them to exercise any such de-
Gliding power. 1t says to them: Once
FOR -pyc
boosted sovereignty by voting for
candidate for President elected by this
or that ring Of party managers; and once
every two years you may exercise it by
voting for some candidate for Congress,
elected N like manner. But when you have
voted for somebody you must retire from
the sovereignty business. You are not to
decide any question Of public policy. You
are not even to be consulted in the making
OF such decision. Government is not to
refer the decision OF any political question
to you, and Is not to consult your judg-
ment in any emergency that may arise.
Your voices are not to be taken for INV
such sovereign purpose. You are to have
nothing to do in the settlement OF questions
OF the future or OF the present. You are
only to vote for some candidate for office
presented to you by the intelligent spoils-
mongers OF the party machine. That is the
full extent to which you are allowed to
participate IN matters OF government. That
IS the beginning and the end OF your poiti-
cal sovereignty.
Such being the fact, what does it matter
whether the voters are able or unable to
read and write? In constitution which
arDitrarllv forbds any participation by the
electors in the decision Of public questions,
how IS 1t possible that their decision can de-
nend on the intelligence of the electors.
bsurdity.
Beiore the settlement OF any question can
be conceived as depending on the intelli-
gence OF the electors, tue electors must have
the ultimate decision OF the question. They
must be consulted. II controversy arises
between those who WELD the public powers
Inc matter IN dispute must be referred to
the oeclsion OF the people. The Constitu-
tion msst warrant and require in such cases
that elections be ordered to take the deci.
sion OF the country-not between two riyoI
pafty-machine candidates for office, but
upon q pending political question, The
settlement OF the question would then
depend upon the virtue and intelligence
OF the people. But our political Con-
stitution forbids and prohibits any such
procedure. No decision upon any political
question or measure depends on the votes or
intelligence OF the electors. AS they have
no voice IN the decision, it Is not material to
the decision whether they are able to read
and write or not. 49,
Very likely sit is vain to hope for the
success. OF free government without the
means OF insuring tie intelligence OF those
VINO are the source OF power" But the
american Government II not q 'free Gov
crnment" In that sense. The nennla who