Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-10-04
LErrExs From TIE PEOPLE.

LETTERS From TIE People.
Suffrage In the District of Columbia.
Editor Star The rights Of man are OF two
kinds, viz:
1. Personal rights; and
2. Property rights.
Governments are established to enable intiI-
vduas 70 protect themselves IN the fun enjoy
In republican form OF government all author
ity comes from the people and Is supported by
tax is borne BY the male citizens and the prop.
erty OF the entire nation. Necessarily this must
produce suffrage, the prime principle OF which
the governed This carried out to its fullest
extent, would entitle every perSon-man, wo-
man and child-to suffrage. This is found to
been proposed.
Several propositions are self,evident or have
been settled by higher authority.
l. No female should ever be permitted TO take
part In defending the rights of men; or. In
otner words in the government of q nation: and
hence should never be permitted TO Cast a per-
Sonai vote. There never was more barefaced
1hiidel proposition submitted to the human race
tran female suffrage" This is one OF the
Things that the Supreme Being has definitely ad-
judicated, and II revealed religion has any bind
lug Ierce at all this question has been placed
beyond our reach. II, therefore, any one is dis
pned TO contest this point the discussion Is not
With me: Thus one-half of the human family is
exc uded.
. iufants and innccents cannot vote. Civil
lied Lations are generally agreed in comforting
Shi!t"ge on compuS nentiS males at the age OF
q years.
3 We now come to the real problem II all
mrn were In an equal condition the d!liicu,tie
VI Tie question would vanish
Ruf are not "all men born free ard equal:"
~ a certain sense, yes They are equal be
humanity. They have the same rig us IL M
| tue and In many other respects are on Il per
| feet equality Notwithstanding all this they
q In Nn5tr ~ adI,,,
| tion wealth. power, intellect, privileges, aud In
| very many other respects. Suppose we assume
that all infants are equal 1t is wei known that
| some develop under very favorable circum-
| stances, others develop under very many disad-
| yahtageouS conditions, 50 that at manhood we
| practically find all degrees OF power, education,
| wealth, position, intellect and success. We
| IND the ignorant and the learned, the drunken
| and the temperate. the immoral and the viz
tuous, the poor and the wealthy, the wretched
| and The happy, the low and the high, FORM
| Ing all the grades of society, from the mOSt
low aud degraded to the highest Christian CIV
| tilZation.
Now. when we take in this actual condition
| OF men 1t really seems ludtcrouS-a farce to
| give every man one vote. Ii Is weltknown
fact that larger numbers Of our best men stay
! away from the polls. 1t is not In to put
| themselves on a level with the lowest aud most
| degI AIDED. Unless evils become uncomfortable
| aid they are compelled to go to the polls, they
| will rot go under these conditions.
In this city we are glad to be under aboard
| OF commissioners" where voting is impossible.
Thousands OF men witness against returning TO
| suffrage, and even those that desire reGurn
| specifically state they wish 1t qualified In some
| way. Probably large majority OF our ctJlLeus
OF both parties rather never vote again than TO
| be put on an equality with the scum OF creation
| gathered at the polls with money OF demOrali2t
| partlsans 1t is not necessary to elaborate this
proposition. 1t is very well understood IN this
city by all our people, in fact 1t is very well
| deiStocd all over our nation. one man Is not
squet 10 another Oh the question OF suffrage.
Ii las been proposed TO establish an educa-
L no On rio iF Al
| OF the states and has proven an utter failure
| The Difficulty Is that 1t dt-trGnchises portion
OF community, While it IS not sufficiently effec
/ tive to remedy the evil. 1t does not cover the
| case.
AS first stated there are two kinds of rights
! personal and propefty-so there should be two
kids OF votes-personal votes and property
| votes,
| /. Personal VOTES.
| TO equallZe to some extent the personal vot
| Ing and avoid the present evils, L propose the
following plan Let there be four classes OF
| personal voters.
| /. Every male person (compos meDtts) over
| tNenty-one years of age snail be emitted to one
| vote.
2. Every male professional graduate In any of
| the liberal arts or sciences, or protesting an
| equivalent education shall be entitled to Two
| votes.
| 5. Every male person who has received q reg
| uiar degree OF bachelor from corporate college
OR university, or has an equivalent education
| shall be entitled to three votes
| 4. Every male person who has received a reg
| ular degree of master from corpora e college
or university, or an equivalent education shall
| be entitled to four votes.
| There is nothing in this proposition but what
| Is perfectly proper and right, and suffrage on
this basis would be far preferable and more
! equitable than the present. Intelligence would
then have its proper influence. But no govern
| ment ever existed simply to protect persona,
| rights. More than half of all the laws are m lde
| to protect property, and more than half. yes,
| nearly tWo-th1rdS OF all the business Of a gov
eminent consists in protecting it.
Now the foundation of govern nent is ;'by
the consent OF the governed" and hence prop
| erty Should be governed by It's owners. A man
| that is rot able to accumulate and hold proper
~ Is not ut person to control the prop rty Of
always directly or indirectly subjects OF charity
| and certainly the giver should direct his Char
1y More tha al this men OF large properties
| OF finance and are competent to direct CONNER
| cial and financial transactions. Nothing can
ne more aet I'll ae to country than to have
| How long would bank remain solvent with a
| common laborer to control its affairs? Yet our
present system Of suffrage gives ignorant
| troll OF our government in conducting its f1nan-
cial affairs as the most skillful and successful
| f1nancier.
Property qualifications have been tried and
abandoned In most of the states because it dis
| rranchiaed nonproperty holders, and in other
respects proved unsatisfactory. To equallze to
Some extent the property voting and give full
| representation l submit the following plan, In
Which no one is injured or deprived OF his
| rights:
| 2. PROPERTY VOTES.
| Every person who owns, is assessed and pays
| taxes on property shall be entitled to vote ac-
coIding to the following classification Of votes:
!, Taxes paid on $1,000 shall entitle to one vote.
9 1000 '' 81 2 votes.
| 3. 1000 90 st votes.
| q. 5000 =" 90 votes.
| 5. 10000 GO 81 votes.
&C, giving one more every time his property is
| doubled.
Under this plan of suffrage several radical
| evils would be cured. Persons, education aud
property would all be equitably and fairly repre-
sented. Taxation without representation, so
much complained of, especially by the women.
! would be recognized without disfranchising In
telligence. Property would not be at the mercy
| OF ignorant non-property holders. The men
| ard women who pay the taxes and support the
! government would be repreSepted In the