Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-01-05
Aancaster fntelligenrer.
FRIDAY EVENING, JAN. s. 1883.
Gey. HutIer's Suggestions.

{, VrrBOr Butler has been lnau
gird:,.d as governor Of Massachusetts,,
:. ii *. says it is for just once. lie is
ready to give one year of service to the
commonwealth in return for the honor
o. II, chief magistracy, but lie does no;
want the bauble longer at the price.
While governor, he manifestly means t.
be Il vigorous one. NigOr is his ciiarac
tsristic. lie thinks the state has too
many officers at too high salaries. lie
tells tie Legislature that if they will
diminish the Number one third and The
compensation one-half, he will under
take that the government Of the state
shall be carried on as well as 1t has
ever been done.
Governor Butler takes novel position
in recommending that the voter VINO
votes should be considered to have paid
his head tax, by that act OF duty to the
state. while it should be collected from
the one who does not vote iii harvest
time when lie will be best able to pay 1t.
This is a reversal Of the present practice
which requires the voter or the campaign
committee, to pay the head Tax, WLije
the man who does not vote does NOT pay
ary tax unless he volunteers it, hcca'sc
il cannot be collected from liil. The
idea prevalent is that voting is Il EriVl-
lege aud that man who does not alrrc-
ciate it sufficiently 70 pay tIlc ir1lllng
poll tax which qualities him foI voting
should not vote.
The idea is Il gooi one, but like 4 gccd
many theoretically good ideas, does not
pm out very well in practice the CAM
paign committees pay the poll tax and
use the receipts Us a means of buying
the voters ballot. Buffers plan, pre-
ceeding OH the idea that the state should
pay the citizen fOr his vote, is remarkably
bad in theory, but probably would work
well in practice. 1t is worth trying.
Butler proclaims himself anew in fave!
OF popular suffrage. Ii he would pol't
cut some efficient way CT "hlalnln"
female ballots he might obtain many
converts to his idea. There is 10 very
good reason why women should not vote,
if thcv want TO. save that the method ci
obtaining the r0r lnprlt is not one Wei
adapted for female participation. Few
good women would care to so to al
election poll. Gov. Butler does not pro
pose to enfranchise the Massachusetts
danes and damsels unless the majority
of them express 4 desire for the privi
lege of voting ; and he politely suggests
methods by which they may be save
the annoyance of attending the polls o.!
election day. But his plan of havln:
bJxes put up before the day OF election
for their use will hardly answer
There would need to he police
guard about them night and day
as well rs one Of each political party
ard after all the vigilance possible liza,
been exercised tie boxes might Still bI
tlmpered with and tell q false tale. W.
think we can suggest a better idea t,
the governor: it would he to band th'
women of Massachusetts together il
voting circles of a hundred, who sloult
have a chairwoman to deliver the!
voice to the election officer. It wUu.C
be a better way probably for the ;.scel
tainment. of also the male voice.
Governor Batter gives cold comfort I,
Gov. Hoyt and the friends of the rev
Teformatory prison We are building il
Pennsylvania. He pronounces the Mas
sachusetts reformatOry prison to be d
high priced failure, far too costly for til,
supposed good il does, and declares thai
it should be abolished. The reformatorN
school for boys iSnOt a success either il
his Judgment and he is generally disgust
ed with the reformation and charitable in
StitutOns Of the state for he ayoWI
that the Industrial school for girls ll;,t
outlived its usefulness and the school fo
idiotic and feeble. minded youth shoul,
never have been instituted for a well
feG, well cared-for idi1t is a happy
creature, an idiot awakened to his con
dition miserable one - an idea tina
sounds as though it was forcible. L
may be that the idiotic condition is tn.
happiest. There is good proof of til,
fact in the daily contemplation afforded
us of our acquaintance. 1t does seen
as though the happieSt fellsws were
those least troubled by brains. Still the
prejudice of men in favor of rationale,
forbids the state to proceed on the idea
of Butler that insanity is a blessing.