Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1878-10-22
TIE ELECTIVE FRANCHISE.

tAAJ ELIIJN u IhsA-NNtlA lCAI
1t is supposed by many that i citizen has
exercised, in It's highest sense, his right Of
suffrage when ne has by the deposit Of his
ballot signitiod his choice as to the men who
are rival aspirants for office In one sense
this is correct fur Ivy voting for men he has
availod himself of the only mode known to
the law of asserting his political principles
But this very fact suggests such thing as
the involving, in a greater or less degree, Of
tho declaration Of principle b. each citizen
whch he votes and :he thing 50 suggested Is
in truth the main oh ject of the ballot 80 cast,
slthough za do not mean IN an obnoxious
sense to advocate the so-called maxim Of
"principles, not men Our theory in
American politics is the duubly stated formula
OF men an principles, aud principles md men.
Neither can be practically asserted in a gov
eminent of the people without the correlatlve
being properly and by necessary implication
also understood. There is no such thing
practically III public affairs the advocacy o!
men, merely, to the exclusion ii principles,
or vice gcrSn. If oar statement is sufficiently
distinct, We arrive at an intelligent basis Cor
the grounding of the already mentioned |
truth that the assertion of one or more prln
cjplos in the conduct Of governmental affairs !
is tho predominant idea Of the electoral !
franchise. Our government, whether 1t be
national, State or county, is based upon laws
that are supposed to maintain the rights OF |
the people, whether collectively or mdIvid,
ually. aud the laws must recognize that
symmetry AMI consistency which assumes the
equality of all in legal sense. How Is this
to be arrived al unless by concurrence of
action the majority or at east the plurality
of the voters have in sone manner made
known the real object and intent OF the
election Ii might be assumed in ali OF
hand way that the opinions and acts of the
mon elected would sufficiently indicate the
wishes and opinions of the constituency, ard
80 the real meaning of the election be easily
ascertained. Perhaps this is true; but not
necessarily true =; for if the election Is merely
to determine what man shall gill given Office,
men of the most diverse political views might
from merely personal considerations vote for {
she same man, and the result would be, Of t
course, insignificant ~ TO any principle sup ! !
posed to be involved In the case of legis- !
later 80 elected, the only source through
which to ascertain the will of the people as to
any measure would be through the right of r
petition, and not through the means OF the
ballot 1t is evident to any voter Of ordinary
intelligence that it is not the intention of the
Law to restrict him to petition instead OF
the ballot as a means of asserting his rights.
We ell know that an election has far greater B
force and Significance. The law in its literal
sense is of course satisfied, and probably the
might for time and after a N
fashion continue if Tom, Dick and Harry are
elected to fill the several offices, but anarchy
would eventually ensue if nothing more than L
this were to be inferred from an election 1t
il evident that there must be an intelligent =
md Ineligible concurrence of action by the I
people in the election of men to NIL the r.
,lIices and this is the real basis Of that pro
vision of law that authorizes any election at
Ill. 1t is to be understood always that in y
lividual preferences are more or less ignored
o the end that the issues and principles III
roIved in the election may become distinct
md appreciable. 1t is because of this that
,arties exist and organized concurrence OF
sction is SO vitality necessary to any nteLliglble
'esult in election matters.
The Republican party is an organization
which from its inception to the present time
has given loyal support to the Federal Gov n
'rnment and the perpetuity of the Union of q
he States. The Democratic party is an
organization that exists for a precisely con- -
rary purpose. The nominees of the one
,srty represent the one and the other the
'ther of those ideas. The issue 80 presented IN
. az distinct today as in 1861, and no cleo
ION transpireS which does not more or less
involve it. But, be this as it may, no voter
an avoid some more or loss definite political
esult by the casting of his vote He can -
lot ignore issues provided he votes at all.
'olitical issues are unavoidably as much in
clved in county elections IS in national "
lsesienA In order, therefore, to give to his aui