Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-03-01
THE VIEWS
Ola Citizen Concerning Poll and suf-
frage.
The Senate Joint Resolution on the
Subject Discussed.
To tho Gazette.

OH constitutional amendments in
wolves principles that should receive
the attention and personal considera-
ton of every free-holdcr in the state.
The bill requires every one who desires
10 vote to pay poll tax of two dollars
thirty days before the election, taking
n receipt for this payment and produce
the receipt on the day of the election,
4 like the tendency OF this move, and
am inclined TO think IL IL but II sam
ple OF still better things that are in the
mind OF Senator Terrell, ] like IL he
cause think it Is one step towards
purifying the ballot-boN, and one
barrier that will keep il from being
stuffed with the chafiy votes Of disin-
tercsted Migrants, whose names are
found more often upon the criminal
docket than upon the tax roll.
| approve of IL, because ! THINK the
principle upon which II Is based Is
right and lust, ii there Is any such
thing as an absolute standard oil flgn',
and / believe there Il. But let Us IN
restigate: IL will do no harm, u IL does
no good, while it may show the posi-
BILE existence OF facts that demand the
massage of such law. II my premises
are correct we will all agree in conelu-
sion. IL Is urged against TINS bill
that Il tends towards or savers
of property qualification to suffrage
or, in other words, interiereS WIN tne
rights Of universal suffrage. What u
il does? IL there anything TO brighten
n freeman in that? WHAT do Won
mean by the rights OF suffrage = we
surely do not mean that the privilege
ef voting Il "A right, because IL Is in ac-
t,I ss1t In ,f .Afl do
auncd from Il rationnlstie standard Of
rirbts or because IL Is In obedience TO
any divine law, for what law of Justice
would let the rights of property earned
nv one man. be placed at the mercy OF
one who has no property 10 protect.
But. by the rights Of suffrage we mean
tile privilege, the chance, the permits
sion of government To vote, which in
rhis country. Il extended alike TO free
holder and non freeholder. We claim
the former has this right, and that the
latter has not, for every relative right
ar privilege Is based upon something
phat has secured the privilege, The
freebooter is shareholder in the gov
crnnhent, has his property taxed, that
il may DC protected, aud rom this he
draws his dividends. But what has
secured the privilege To the penniless
man? His life, you say a
foreigners life is safe in this
state, and yet he cannot vote.
Does not too much liberty become the
foule5t despotism, whose chains are
forged In the passions and prejudices
of the mob, and placed upon our lives
and property, while they themselves
have no vested rights. win not utter
republicanism lead To anarchy and
communism | believe there should
bc property qualification to suffrage,
Ii would not conflict with the
rights" OF suffrage, for there ia no
right where none has been acquired.
why should not this privilege he nc
suircd as any other. There is enough
power III every man, when applied, 10
acquire An interest in the government.
No man should be given privilege
when he has no vested interests. We
should not give him this interest
when he has nothing to base IL on
when he will not work for 1t, and,
when he hasdt, does not appreciate. but
sells II for naught. He has nothing
TO lose, but everything to gain; while
the man who has property, has al to
loose, from votes that are controlled by
whisky, passion, money, personal
friendships, and schemlng demagog-
nes, with no eye to any good that is TO
come 10 them, except what they
get in money and treats.
A nan who has property will he more
liable To east his vote upon sober and
iudlcions principles than one who is
too poor to own a home. Tho lives and
characters of financial zealots will not
be jeopardized moi will the right To
!.scOplc citizens be denied them. This
class OF men as a general thing have
no fixed opinions upon political ques-
lions of any kind, they do not care
who Is up or who is down. They do
not appreciate the right To vote, nor do
they care to exercise it, unless paid 10
do so. Asa rule, one who has become
IL man, without some material evil
dencc Of having lived, cares for no hing
hut what his body consumes each day.
hut from the very fact that they are
passive, and easily controlled, comes
the danger, and also the necessity oi
taking from them privilege they
may abuse with reckless disregard
to everything except the satisfaction
Of personal desires, or those OF chance.
Hence they generally form the work.
ing material of candidates, and they
the candidatesl work them up with
cigars, money, whisky and everything
that will influence them.
Property holders are generally men
of fixed opinions, and,considerable self
reliance and need no such e,ectioneer-
ing. But this mass of complimentcd
humanity, honofed members of tho
state government, courted friends o.
demagouges, and plant tools of sche
mers, must be favored, treated, paved
and nursed with care until II has be
come so shameful as to bring disgrace
upon the elective system. | cannot see
why aman should have declared TO hin
the dividend of suffrage, when he ha,
not paid for q single share of citizen
ship. | cannot see why this shiftless
and sterile class of men should be al
lowed 10 corrupt the ballot-boX and
clog the wheels OF state, men who
have no principles, or sell what they
for dram. We compliment them, and
they return the compliment by selling
tho power they have over our property
would rather see weil-to.do washer
women vote than drifting man
i'm favor OF this bill. Let men pay some
thing for his vote. ii he is vagrani
let him pay two dollars on his worth
less head 10 educate the children O.
the state; ii he does not pay, let hin
alone i'm his worthless glory OF being
A. HI