The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-07-23

n be hoped that the era, when all int,
national differences shall be decide,
d bv peaceful arbitration, is not far of
l. EQUAL RIGHTS TIC CITIZENSHIP.
It The central idea of a republican
+ form Ut government is the quality o
the whole people, as opposed to Othel
n ferns which rest upon the privilege!
OF caste. Our foretathers in their at
tempt to erect a new form of govern
ment, which might represent the ad.
/ vanced thought Of the world at thai
period upon the subject OF govern.
mental reform, adopted the IDEA of the
r peoples sovereignty, and thus laid the
f basis OF our present republic. While
technically a government of the peo-
: pie, it was in s%trictness, only Il gov
eminent of a portion Of the people,
/ excluding from all participation a
/ certain other portion held in a CON
/ ditlon OF absolute despair and hope
less s%ervltude, the parallel to which
fortunately does not now exist in any
modern Christian nation. With the
elimination, however, of another
cycle of advanced thought, the Amer
lean public suddenly assumed the
full character of 4 government by
the whole people. and four million
human creatures emerged from the
condition of bondsmen to the full
status OF free men, theOritt ca lily in
vested with the civil and political
rights possessed by their former
masters. The subsequent legislation,
which guaranteed, by every legal
title, citizenship and full equality
IN the eye OF the law,
in respect of this previously
disfranchised people, amply covers
all requirements, and creates for
them, so far as legisl alton can, the
privileges of American citizenship.
But a disagreeable fact in the case is,
that while, theoretically, we are in
the enjoyment OF a government by
the whole people, practically, we are
almost as far from it as we were in
the ante-bellum days Of the republic.
There are but a few leading and in-
d%isputable facts which cover the
whole statement of the case. In
many southern states the cOiOred
population is in large excess of the
whites. The colored people are re-
pHbllcans, as are also a considerable
portion OF the white people; the re-
naming portion of the latter are
democratic in fact. This Is AN incon- !
testable truth. These states invaria-
bly, return democratic majorities. In
the other states of the south,
the colored people, although not |
a majority, form a yery
considerable body of the population, !
and with the white republicans, are
numerous and in excess OF the demo-
Gratis. Yet precisely the same politi-
cal result is obtained, the democratic |
party invariably carrying the cleo
tons. 1t is not ever thought advisa-
Die to allow an occasional or unim-
portant election to be carried by the
republicans as a blind, or as a stroke
OF finesse. Careful and impartial in
veStlgatiOn has shown that these re-
suits exercise, physically, intimlda-
tlOn and violence. cOnjoined with the
most shameful devises eyer practiced
in the name OF free elections.
So contirmed has this result become.
that we are brought face to face with
the extraordinary political fact that
the democratic party of the south re-
lies almost entirely upon the methods
stated for success IN our national
elections. This unlawful peryersion
OF the popular franchise, which | de-
sire to state dispassiOnately. and in a
manner COMFORTING with the proper
dignity OF the occasion, is one OF deep
gravity to the American people in a
double sense:
Flrst-lt is in violation, open, d.
rect and fragrant, Of the primary prin-
ciple upon which u government IS
supposed to rest, viz: that the con-
troll OF the government is participated
i'll by all legally qualified citizens in
accordance with the plan of popular
government, that majOritIes must
rule in the decision of all questions.
Second-lt is in violation OF the
rights and interests of the states
wherein are particularly centred the
great wealth and industries of the
nation, and which pay an overwhelm-
ing portion of the national taxes. The
immense aggregation of interests en-
braced within, and the enormously
greater population of those other
states OF the Union, subjected every
four years to the dangers of a wholly
fraudulent election, shows that the
numerical strength, under this sys-
tenn OF minOritles. actually attempts
to direct the course of u national
affairs; and, though up to this time
success has not attended their efforts
to elect a president, yet, success has
been so perilOusly imminent as to Ell
courage a repetition of the effort at
each quadrennial election. and sub
ject the Interests of al overwhelming
majority OF our people, north and {
south, to the hazards of illegal sub. !
version. l
The ~stereotyped argument IN refu- :
OF these plain truths is. that if .
a republican element was really in !
majority, they could not be de- ,,
of their rights and privileges !
by the minority. But neither the sta :
of the population, nor the una ,
Voidable logic of the situation can be :
)verridden. The co,ored people of =
he south have recently emerged from
he bondage of their present political
,ppressols; they have had but
advantages OF education,
which might enable them to
Keep pace with the whites. 1
As | have heretofore maintained.
n order to achieve the ideal perfec-
ion of popular form OF govern-
nent, it is absolutely necessary that e.
he masses should he educated. This Ell
applies itself with full a. =,
to the colored people of the e,
outh. They must have better edu-
ational advantages, to lie enabled to p:
the intellectual peers OF their 81
White brethren, as many of them un- it
oubtedly already are; a liberal scho Ill
ystem should be provided for the
generation in the south, and at
he colOred people be made as capa- &c
lie OF exercising the duty Of electors So
s the white people. h
In the meantime, it is the duty of 90
he national government to 90 be- hi
ond its resolutions and declarations tn
q the subject. and take such action re- re-
may lie III its power to secure the cIi
bsOlute freedom OF national cleo hu
everywhere. to the end that orr