The sun., 1878-07-17
Some English Views Of Universal suf-
fraxc,


universal suffrage, and to ascribo TO IL all
tho political evils of tho country. Mr..
FRANCIS PAgKMAN, Tor example, publishes
In the July number III the NORTH American,
Review an article la which he declares that
our political syston tends to exclude from
the government tho bcst clasSs Of citiHcns;
accordingly he advocates u reform by
which only men possessed OF cortain
amount OF property shall bo allowed
to vote. In this respect no follows in
the footstepe Of Mr. EvARTs and his
associates, who lately endeavorod to
hand over the government Of cities In this
state to the control OF the payers Of Il GER
tain amount Of rent or taxes. And 1t Is quito
common to hear 1t said that the most COM
pctcnt men among us take no part IN active
politics because Of the Encouragement they
meet with from our unlimited suffrage laws
That such sentiments spring from ignu-
rance Of the facts of the case, or from
Sickly refinement which cannot successfully
grappl1 with practical questions, no healthy
judgment doubts That Mr.. pARRMAN, Mr.
EvARrs. and others of their kind, fail of
winning the confidence and the esteem of
their fellow citizens who possess less wealth
y
cause Of their superior attainmcnts, or Of
their greater capacity TO serve the public. II
il because the uncurrupted instincts OF the
voters whom they profess to dcspisc detect
their want Of knowledge Of the broad inter.
csts Of the country, and will not accept their
tiuical theories n political wisdom. Rough
common sons" in this, AZ in many other cases,
arrives at a sound conclusion. though it
may not give it, reasons in elegant lang guagc.
An interesting discussion of the capacity
~ masses Of men To- judge correctly ON pOliti-
cal subjects has lately been going on In the
pages of an English review, The Ndtctc,nth
GHt,Wg, between Mr.. GLADSTONE, Lord AR
THUR RUssELt Mr.. GREG. Mr.. HrrroS, and
other eminent Englshmcn. Tho summing
up of their several views appears. oppor-
tunely enough, simultaneously with the pub-
licatiun of Mr. PARKMAS's article in this
country. and is a most satisfactory answer
to IT. Mr.. GLADSTONE. particularly is out
spoken In his opinion, that 50 far as we
know the facts. and with a possible cxcep-
tion or two, the popular judgment on the
great achievements of the last half century,
which have made our age lso far a praise
| among the ages, has been more just and
true than that of the ajority of the higher
| orders He mentions number of measures,
such as the repeal of the corn laws, the cheap
postage bill. and Irish disestahlishment, in
confirmation of this proposition, and con-
cludes thus: "Now, when we have enfran-
chised one full half of this class, which felt
and Judged so much more soundly than we
did, and that half the more questionable of
the two, it will not be we'll to withhold the
/ .1 L...
by growing intelligence and by unqucs-
toned docility, from the other moicty."
Mr.. GLADSTONE did not. as lie might have
done, add to his illustrations the popular
support which the United States received in
| England against the efforts Of the aris-
| tOcracy during the war for the Union, and
his own recent failure 10 commit England
to the side Of Russia against Turkey; but
he must have remembered them, and his
| judgment is therefore the more disnterestcd.
Mr.. HUTTON and Mr.. GRANT DUFF agree
with HIM, and support him with an array Of
faots altogether overwhelming.
| Tho truth Is. that, as Mr.. GLADSTONE
points out, something more than mere intel
lcctual cultivation Is necessary in forming a
! correct conclusion on political questions.
| This something Is moral souudncss. which
is too often impaired 10y the very circum-
stances of luxury and social pretenco which
accompany superior education. Wealth and
ease bring with them, he says, in a ma jorlty
| of cases an increased growth in the harden
ing crust of cgotism and sclfishncss, and
diminish the capacity Of right judgment
more than leisure, money and opportunity
| increase it, And he concludes by appealing
to the experience Of the early Christians
| who found favor with the poor and ignorant,
when they We're dcspiscd and prosecuted 10y
the aristocracy Of the Roman Empire On
| our side Of the water we have only to point
to the apathy, not to say complaccncy, with
which our educated citizens have regarded
the great Presidential fraud and the alacri-
| ty which some of the most conspicuous
among them have displayed in seeking Office
| from the hands Of man who derives his
ability to give it from bribery and periu-
ry to be convinced that, not among this set
at least, are the saviurs Of the country to he
looked for our ordinary American citizen.
may not bc iull Of classics and mathe
MATES, but they know right from wrong
and can be depended on 10 approve the on,
and condemn the other.