The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-01-24
UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE.

UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE.
In the February number of the North
American Review Professor A. Winchell
has paper, in which he discusses "The Ex-
pertinent of Universal Suffrage" The
learned Professor does not take a roseate
view of the experiment" He sees in it
only decentralization and disaster, wreck and
ruin. He has no faith in the American
idea" The writer's opinions of government
are based upon the conviction that the
masses are absolutely incapable of grasping
and solving the great problems OF duty
and destiny. He holds that the
declaration relating to the equal
ity of men, in fact, law
justice, common sense, or anything else, is
a self-evideut vagary demagogical to the last
degree He recognizes in the affairs OF govern
ment divine right to rule vested in certain
persons, and consequently a divine OBJ
legation on the part of others to submit I'M
complainingly. We are satisfied, if Pro
lessor Winchelrs paper falls under the eye
of Car. Sultan, King or Kaizer. it will be
read with real pleasure. 1t magniies the
virtues of aristocracy and dwarfs the posi-
bilities of the masses to be more than serfs
Manifestly the writer is student. He does
not enter the arena OF debate without
weapons. There is no hesitancy In his
challenge. He invites men of thought
to cross swords with him. He has convic-
tons and the courage of convictions. He
stands up and stands forth in this grand era
of light and knowledge, peace and progress,
in this land of schools and Churches, liberty
and law. and predicts failure-failure for
humanity; sees in liberty curse and in
equality danger. He views with distrust his
coronated countrymen, and predicts, as the
result of sovereignty, universal suffrage, the
ultimate triumph of his ideas. True, the
masses are now rising, but Professor Winchell
manifestly entertains the belief that the
elevation of the masses will result in dlZzi-
ness, mental alteration, a final collapse
OF universal suffrage, and the enforcement
in this land, the last hope of humanity, of
autocratic rule. The writer outlines with
special vividness number of vicious prac-
tees that have crept into our methods Of
government, particularly In the manage
ment of elections and the methods OF select
ing candidates. In such things there are
many defects, and large demands for i'm
provement. Law makers are often
profoundly ignorant, venal and vicious,
disgrace to the State and
libel upon civilization, intel
ligence, virtue and all things of good
report but such law makers are never In
the majority, and the proof may be found in
the fact that the laws of the American Re
public are as wise as those OF any country
on the face of the earth. 1t is quite out Of
the question for us to point out the virtues
and vagaries OF Professor Winchells paper
in the space at our command. We are told
that modern civilization does not reflect
the intelligence and ylrtne of the masses Of
the people" IF the proposition is true, then
we ask, What does modern civilization re-
fleet? As a matter of course we refer to
our own country where universal suffrage
prevails. 1t is doubtless true that the
intelligence and virtue of the masses
are not reflected to the extent required for
the we'll being OF society, but it is true that
the virtue and the intelligence of the masses
of the people are the great controlling
forces which are shaping events. The
strength of the Republic lies in the virtue
and intelligence of the ms -es and there
fore absolute political control should be ex-
ercised by the masses of the people, and
there Is real satisfaction in believing that
neither priest nor potentate, snob nor nabob,
autocrat nor aristocrat, nor any
other force within reach of man or
devil, can wrest from the masses
of the people their sovereignty,
their divine right to rule. 1t is
supreme audacity for Professor Winchell
to declare that "the American system robs
intelligence and virtue of natural right"
and that 1.-The American system, as it exists
in practice, misapprehends the meaning of
equality" 1t is true that we have ''cut and
dried Conventions" 'venal legislators"
official defaulters," ''spendthrift Congress
man." Outlying bosses" and RELENTLESS
machine" as also an army of demagogues,
but such things after all are but the flies ON
the chariot wheels of our progress, bats
among our eagle, croaking frogs in the
dismal swamps, yet to be silenced.
Over all and in spite of all
such mice and men the great
Republic holds steadily Oh its course. and
the experiment of universal suffrage" il
experiment it is still regarded, is the avant
courier of human progress and human ele-
walton. 1t repeats, as it blazes out new
highways tor thought and enterprise, Peters
discovery that God is no respecter of per
sons, and, like John in the wilderness, de-
mands preparation for the coming millep-
ium, when the champions of the rights OF
man shall celebrate the triumph of uni
versal suffrage.
JOSIE MANSFIELD, about whom Edward 8
Stokes had his fatal quarrel with sim Fisk, is lv
ing in New York this winter She has had many
ups and downs since she was the favorite of the
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