The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-01-10

0overnoe Butler, % biz jIsaa9Usal
aldssss, psssents BIZ views upoo fFes
and equal suns.ge ut great length.
He suxkesls that . nominal poll tax
for 0eate purposes b assessed - now
On the polls Of citizens, and then II
any citizen chooses 70 pay It BY voe'
iu4 let that .ct be . discharge Of sacs'
tax. He recommends . guarded re-
vieion Of registration. The founders
Of our present system Of government.
In establishing universal su6tagr,
were wiser In their day and genera
tion than the men Of the present day
with their restrictive ideas upon the
sul3eet. The plea for restricted saf-
fFage rests upon the assumption that
those who bear the burdens u the
government should shape iis policy.
The best miDds IT the world have
i come generally to adopt the difIssion
theory Of taxation, under which 1t
cannot be said that one individual
| bears Q greater load Of the pubaie bur-
den than another. The man Of b0st-
pess figures In bis lice0ses and taxes
- . part Of bic operating expesses,
which his custonsess ray, 1t may be.
the poorest osse On the list, whose
name b not on the alssesss'r's rOll. psy-
Ing the most.
Under the system at taxation
! adopted BY the general government
the diRlasion among the 'saass at the
people of the taxes imposed b almost
perfect. The hesvy imsposters In the
Int instance pay the duties the re-
taIlen return to them the money Nd
vsnced f,r these duties In m en-
hspeed price paid lor the good and
the consumer repay the retaiIers tho
money they have advanced to the
impogten. Under the internal rev.
enue system Of taxation the money
Paid in licenses becomes immediately
distrihuted, 10 that, under any system
Of taxation that can b devised the
poorest nsemLers Of the community,
especially II they are the heads Of
large families. contribute more to the
support Of Government than the
wealthy, and. ~ far - Interest goes,
have 4 more vital intere.t In the |
economical Standardization of affairs.
Their right t. suffrage 10 inde(easi.
bic, and wss fully accorded to tbei'
by the master minds that laid sure |
and nrm the founda ion. Of our free !
Institutions.
The question Of suffrage Is one that
viii undoubtedly occupy . share u
the attention Of the present l.egisla-
ture. There has been considerable
clamor frona various quarter In favor
~ . registry law. 1t should he the
aim III Legislator to frame such an
electiOm law - will throw the most
perfeci safeguards around lie right
Of suffrage and make the results of
elect ions what they should le-a full
AID free exrv.ssi.,n Of the popular
will. Hut they sli"s,ld he careful 1t
the same time not to impose such
conditions upon the exercise Of the
right AZ suf5tage ~ will In any
way abridgc It or destroy the
sovereignty " the citizen. 4 re:is-
try law, in . great portion of this Ter
ritory, would amount ~ virtual tlts-
franchisen,ent. Voters living ut y
distance from the polls would neglect
registry, aud thus lure their Voice in
public affairs. II = r'gistry law
should l,e deemed Ut all judicioas, let
It be made applicable to only our
cities and towns Of five hundred iu-
hAbltants and upward i
1t n Impossible to frame q perfect
law among imperfect human beings.
The individual who per.,uades him
self that elections under the mMwt
perfect registry law are honest IL
too guii~ls.~ for this lad
world. Registry law. are, rather, an
aid to fraud, where bssd men are
10 defeat the viii! of the PEG.
pie, am.l the popular will has been ~
much tllwarteti under them a.
without them. 1t Is - easy to rexis-
ter the Cincinnati directory - It h 10
votcit. 1t Is alleged that frauds
were committed In Dawson and
Missoula counties ut the late elet.-
lions. Let any intelligent citizen
consider how much lt.ss would have
Deen the opportunity for fraud under
! stringent registry law. The 'nacl,in-
Fry for s,ls':, u l.w Is cunnbessOs,,e
and expensive; 1t will disfranchtse
many worthy persons who are 80 Sit
'ated .. uot I" I've able to register with
'ut PERSONAL loss: It will prevent no
tauds such ~ are alleged to have /!
,een committed; aud II will be
with . condition the ex-
:rcise ofs right belonging to every
ldult lsale inl,abttant.
The right Of free aud equal suf-
rage, wisely ordained by the found
~ Ut the best government the sun d
yer shone upon, must not Le denied I
lOr abridged: It must not he ham. q
'ered BY any conditions that will In 9
esfefe with Its tree exercise. The
tendencies Of this aye,
for property and educa- {
|onal qualifications, Ut thst the per {
on Offering to vote shalt have paid . Il
oil tax, are 1t war With the idea Of c
ouud statesnausliip. Governor But.
r., Of Massachusetts,, than whom i.
here 10 no wiser statesman nor pro- :.
'aud student In the science Ut gov. F
rnn,ent In the nation, IL grand'y RI
Ight on the question Ut free and equal o
nffrage. The perpituity Of our FREE b