Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-06-16
SUFFRAGE AND ITS LTuITA,
TIONS.
Grafton by Hon. +. +. Reltzhooyer,
at the Normal Anniversary,
MillersYille, penn'a.

AlllAtlokllltt RUM de
The highest human fame has always
been accorded to those who founded
States and to those who preserved and
perpetuated them. The names of those
historic heroes are handed down from
age TO age in thousand various forms,
from the rude traditionswhich reach the
savage in his forest homo to the monu.
mental marbles which adorn the forums
and capitals of the most cultured and
polished Nations, They stand as ex.
emplars Tor the emulation and imita.
tion OF noble minds in every land, and
are the best incentives to patriotic
sacrifice and endeavor. The glory of
becoming the architect OF empires is
too remote to tempt the ambition Of
men in this generation, but the honor
Of aiding to preserve great Republic
is within the reach of every citizen.
There are already many gallant names
on the dead roll Of this decade, which
will 60 down to posterity as the de-
tenders and upholders Of the first great
free government which has ever OK.
listed on the globe for q century. The
grave responsibility and correspond.
ing glory of continuing it beyond
another cycle of time is committed to
the young men of this day. All the
governments of the past, with the ex-
ception of a few ephemeral Republics,
which glittered above the horizon like
meteors at long intervals and for brief
periods, were cased on the will of one
man subject to no law but that of his
displeasure. This Government is
founded on the will of the people, sub
ect to written constitution. 1t is a
great political experiment without
single precedent in the history of six
thousand years to justify the belief that
it must succeed and endure. 1t is not
perfect. 1t has in it, like all human
products, the elements Of decay almost
as powerful as those of life. "Govern.
ment is a growth, not q manufacture"
1t must 20 forward or backward
There is no stand still. 1t must grow
better or worse. 1t must 90 on TO.
wards the greatest freedom and most
perfect administration, or degenerate
again to the primal state OF despotism
and slavery. Is this Government SO
established as to defy the laws of politi.
cal growth and decay2 Are we out
on an open, boundless sea where no
storm will ever overtake US? No one
but q demagogue would SO declare
All thoughtful men have sadly Ques.
toned the horoscope Of our many
times during the last few years, and
never moro 50 than now. Turning
then to this subject, what is the great.
est crying danger of the hour IN this
Nation? ? What more than all other
things threatens to overthrow and
rovolutionize the Government ? Is il
not the almost insurmountable diflicul.
ty in getting at the fair and honest ex.
preston of the will of the people, and
when that will is ascertained the dis.
honest and criminal disposition to ut
terly disregard and ignore il ? This
Government is based absolutely and
solely on the will of the people, and
the party or the men who strike at
this foundation principle and try to
subvert and destroy il, are guilty Of
the deepest, darkest and most mex
cusable treason. II we cannot get
means to fairly determine what is the
will Of the people Of this Nation, and
to compel prompt and implicit obedi.
cnce to that will, the Republic with all
its Wanted glories will 60 down to the
oblivion Of the dead Republics of the
past as certainly as the inexorable
DEGREES Of destiny can send it. II we
cannot get fair vote, a fair count,
fair declaration of the count, and an
honest submission TO it, we might as
well fold up the stars and stripes and
bury our National escutcboon and lie
supinely on our backs, awaiting pa
tiently the doom of human passion and
prejudice and ignorance and folly.
This question is the great living ire
pressiblc issue of the hour. 1t is as
useless TO meet it with ridicule and
contempt and bombastic patriotism, as
it would be 10 try TO dam the ocean
or stay the mighty torrents Of Niagara,
At the bottom Of this great question,
and as one of its principal factors lies
the right Of suffrage, on what II should
be based and how 1t should be limited.
Without any partisan bias, but purely
from the aspects in which q student
and patriot should view IL, we propose
this as the subject for discussion on
this occasion. Aristotle described man
as a political animal, and what was
true in that remote day is more en-.
phatically so in this golden age of po.
litical warfare. in what 1 shall say
on the theme, however, | challenge all
in the words Of the good Emperor
Trajan, whom he handed sword TO
the commander Of Roman legion,
"Use il Tor me when | am right, but
against me when am wrong"
A vote is an expression Of preference
as to mon or an opinion as to measures.
The right TO vote is derived solely
from the State and is therefore a purely
pOlitical Npht II IL not n natural or