The Red Cloud chief., 1882-09-01
SUFFRAGE A POLIrI-
CAL REFORM.
Ertrset from q. Adar,., ~ H0s- n b
BLGekc,H.

BlGrA OIL
All admit that sume change N our 20
| li,ical .y.,sm b. needed. The growing
corruption Of public life d. admitted and
d~sp!Orea by both parties. Los az "a The
ayer.g. standard Of private morals, the
standard Of political ethics 3. coufes.ediy
far lower. Every wear matters sssm 20
grow worse. Our laws and oar ias-mAk
ers do not fairly represent the public cen
timen, OF the community.
Now VIA, shall W. do abou, it1 How
shall We cope With thsse stern facts' How
shall We redeem the future OF the great
republic
Only BY enli.iing all the virtue, all the
intelligence, all the patriotism II the ns-
lion in . struggle with the vice. and
ignorance and seln.hness Of tie nation.
In short, only by cnlisting the Interests Of
the whole American people in p%cii;ica!
questions 10 . greater extent than ever be-
fore. We must somehow Arouse the COM
munity 10 habiiuAl thought "a sction On
political topics. Fortunately 1t 10 the
permanent interest Of most people 20 have
good laws, economical standardization, and
honest public servants. When otice hold
ers steal, their constituents have u foot
the bills. To secur u just verdict We
must frst secure an impartial jury. Such
ajury, only an extended suffrage can sup
ply. And the greatest Of ell political
problems is how best Ia enlist public inter-
est in the intelligent criticism Of public
affsir.
The prizes Of liberty Is eternal vigi-
lance" While absorbed In = struggle
with southern slavery We have become
ourselves insensibly enslaved. To-day
our government is republican only in
form. In every ward, in every town, Nc
are governed by cliques of trading poiiti-
clans through the machinery of parties.
The nominations are made by less than
Eve per cent. Of the voters, assembled In
the primary meetings.
Now who are the men that conpos
these primaries? Go and see. The
managers" are there; men who have
axes to grind. Their followers are there;
men who are ~"rslxves Of the ring" The
floating population are there, men who
lounge on sidewalks aud haunt saloons
and "drop in " "a a pastime. When the
meeting il. called to order, q ticket, usually
distributed on printed slips, Is nominated
by acclsmation. In ten minutes the eau
Gus is adjourned. This ticket was care
fully prepared, in advance Of the caucus,
By q little, self-cons,ituted clique Of politi-
clans, in q private parlor or saloon, from
which the public are jealously excluded.
Half n dozen men, known only TO their
immediate followers, have settled the
nominations for 5000 voters.
1t may be said that il our present politi.
cal evils are 50 largely the result Of male
ignorance manipulated by cunning, the
addition Of an equal number Of still more
ignorant female voters will only make bad
matters worse. But in the first place our
female population 10 much more largely
native American, and ~ that extent Is
more generally educated. To prove this
we need only refer TO the statistics Of i'm.
migration, which show a very great ana
constant preponderance Of male immi.
grants. This p~reponderance reaches its
maximum in the case Of the Chinese who
are, almost without exception, males. In
the second place the grossly ignorant and
vicious class are every where in the minor.
ity. II, by woman suffrage, We would double
the votes of this class, we should also
double the votes Of the intelligent majori-
~ and thereby largely diminish the rel.
alive political power Of ignorance, and
power Of intelligence. Thus If 1900 out
/ VI c,VpV SptSEs u ICuorout, fUST" U putv
d intelligent majority Of 1000; bat IL
1000 out Of 10000 voters are ignorant,
there is an intelligent majority of 1900,
and the danger is reduced one-half. And
in the third place our chief danger has
been shown 70 lie not in ignorance but in
indifference, and this indifference will be
vastly lcssened when political ideas and
interests are brought into the domestic
circle and made . subject Of family con
sideration.
To cali our present system "a govern.
ment Of the people" is absurd. The only
remedy Is 10 attract the attention Of the
people TO the primary meetings In sufficient
numbers TO check and overawe the
"rings-" To reform politics Ne must frs;
reform the caucuses. To-day. the men of
intellect and character do not, a . rule,
attend them. such men Are too busy and
100 much absorbed in social engAgemenu.
They 60 with their wives and sisters 70
church meetings, concerts, lectures and
social parties. They associate with ladies,
at home and abroad. These women ex.
pect their society and would feel dissp.
pointed At their absence. The presence Of
such men in political meetings can be Sc
cured IN only one WAY, viz: by existing
the social sympathy and cooperation Of
women In such meetings. When the no.
men go the men will go. Men Of refine.
ment will take little interest in the prac.
teal work Of politics SO long Is women
are excluded. Because, society i. civilized, |
while politics are still semi.oarbarous. |
Women are in society; women are the !
life Of our churches and schools, of our |
charities and reforms they should be the |
life Of our politics also. "What God hiss !
Joined lie, no mar put asunder." But nm.
al men a women 90 together Ia the
primary meetings these meetings will con.
tinue mall in numbers, sordid in tone, !
poor in character and corrupt in manage
ment Real political reform must begin
BY . reform In our caucus system. And
In order 10 reform the caucus We mus;
open IFS doors 10 men and women. In
impartial suffrage irrespective of sex lies
the only salvation Of American politics.