The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-09-10
THE SUFFRAGE QUESTION.

charles = 'ls iVConner the eminent demo
cratic lawyer, in q brief, we callit brief
for II. IL unworthy of other name-writter
Fin 1867, we believe, laid down doctrine
which all democrats need but to read I'd
reject as aptagonistic withtheir creed and
utterly subyersive Of those "ancient priil.
EeiplesD to which our Bourbon element
cling with such devotion. 1t was the
doctrine that the exercise of the ballot
was privilege and not right"
This perversion Of the inherent princi-
Pies upon which our Republic is founded
peryades the arguments, if We may so dig
Nifty them, of those who desire to substi-
tute a government of CLASS for a govern
nntnt of PEOPLE. If the sovereign power
rests with the whole people, it naturally
follows that that sovereign power can
find expression in q peaceful way only
through the medium of the ballot, and it
is Il logical deduction also, that any re-
striction upon this exercise is an invasion
"fthe rights Of the sovereign power.
4 late writer in the New York Herald
from Canton, Ohio, after suggesting a
plan to escape the premisis we have laid
down, has the sublime atfrontry to class
the right to exercise the ballot among
Statutory enactments,' and to sustain
that hypothesis says: . ~. ,-..
.'The elective franchise is not a right of
the individual as against the will Of the
people. tits privilege granted by the
people to the individual. IF that privi-
iese is abused the people have the right
to protect themselves by such safeguards
as are deemed most expedient, even to
the withdrawing Of the privilege alto
gether. The ignorant, the vicious, the
lawless and the shameful now have every
right to which they are entitled. 1t is
those engaged in building up and devel-
oping the country, paying the taxes and
the gOvernment-our farmers,
mechanics and business men-that are
deeply wronged in the matter. A large
majority of the industrious members of So
ciety are SO situated they cannot devote
their time to politics. The result is the
existing condition Of affairs. Give the
people such law ~ the one proposed
or, rather, let them make it for them
,elyes-and it would guarantee to the re
spectacle portion of every community
such an overwhelming majority that the
dangerous element in, society, despairing
If victory, would either die off or REFORM
It has scarcely ever been our misfortune
o have perused as much dangerous twad-
lie in so short paragraph as the above.
t embraces, by an appeal. to self interest,
he most dangerous Of all the dangerous
al'acies Of class government. If capital
II labor, into which all classes in govern
hent are divided, is to rule instead Of the
'appy republican method of both, we are
lre to see a return Of that form Of govern
aent which has, from the foundation of
'uman society, been arrayed against uni
-ersal liberty and on the side of tyranny.
Those who desire that government
honld be administered by the few, should
not lose sight Of the fact that tyranny has
'lways sprung from the Intelligent, and
hat to-day the mainstay argument
Or Kings and class government is this
anne property" and 'intelligent" theory.
We entertain no fear from the rule of
masses. We have all the experience of
gees to prove that the rule of the few
would be dangerous to the ''happiness and
he welfare" Of the many. sae