Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-11-07
THE QUALITY OF THE VOTE.

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THE QUALITY OF THE VOTE.
Woman Suffrage the Path to a.
Ideal Government.
2othe Editor IF tie Doiig Eaqie:
SENTIMENT.
With no fear of loss, or hope Of gain,
My sense Of honor goads me on
To do my duty with all my might,
If a thing be fair, and Just and right.
THAT which is right will ultimately pre-
vail, is law inaexible, interchangeable, anal
terable, no huzza of the mot, sheer of tn
pessimist, nor discrimination If the major it,
can change this law.
The world moves toward perfection, so
cial. moral, physical, and psychologist, anc
though we may at times feel that we are be
coming more vicious, yet our system Of ed
location, legislative enactments, commercial
rules and foreign relations, all disclose a ten.
deney toward something better
II examples are necessary to prove this
look at the Protestant religion for religio n
liberty, to Hampden for political liberty, to
England and America for physical liberty.
10 our own government for a unity of thi,
triunvirate of liberty recognized and guar
anteed BY constitutions, both state and Fed
eral, to laws placing woman on an equality
in property, and to wise and beniicent
system of legislation tending to amelioratc
the condition OF the poorer classes-(thst
this legislation in part is deemed anwise,
chimercal, impolitic in no way blots the
legislative page as whole.) That the rich
have privileges not yet broken down, and
the poor have disadvantages not removed.
and that some crimes are UNPUBLISHED, and
evil practices not discountenanced by law
are things to be regretted, but the remedy il
in the people, and will in time be applied.
.. Sooner or laec women will vote, not be-
cause few women want the "ballot" but
because the educated, civilized, and enlight
ened portion of the people Of this United
States, both native and foreign born; will
demand Of woman that she vote to enable
the n TO control the government Woman
voting will come, not because women desire
it, but because nan dem,nds il, unless NE
can check The corruptive Influences That over
ride the wish of orr intelligence from wear
TO year.
The copsiomerate Mass OF diversified hui
mani,y that crowds our polls from New
York TO Frisco indicate that qualifications
did not trouble the Legislative brain ia enact
ing hws regulating s,otisg.
Much can be ssid for and against prop
srty Qualification. hut no man can formulate
nm argument against a qualification based on
intelligence and sobrietv. Ali agree that
voter Should be Intelligent and sober.
Contracts entered into BY intelligent pco-
Pile when under the Influence of liquor may
be avoided, and it looks reasonable that
vote given by man both drunk and ignor-
ant ought to be rejected.
1t is "a lamentabe truth that the balance Of
power in our federal state. county and mum
icipal elections is in the hands of the thugs,
thu scum, drags of all that is most vile.
Viciousness, inebriety, and ignorance dom
mate over the ballot box, and virtue must
wed vice, and "stoop to conquer" to gain a
foothold in the land that gave the thug his
license to exist. To insult these vicious
classes is g. be beaten at the polls.
Who doubts bat that this state Of affairs
is more to be feared than plaques and fam
inc. The pestilence that stalks in gloomy
triumph tnrou sh some foreign land is not
m,re dangerous to the people than is this
excess of ''ihuggery," to our Americanized
political institutions.
King James said she was bold man who
swallowed the first oyster" but be who pro-
poses the Acknowledgement Of any one or all
Of the above enumerated classes will be
much holder. The cnfranchisement OF wo
men will be the first real step toward the dis
franchisemen, of the clan Thug" \
II is Il triism that no substantial progress
can be made in the qualify of our voters ua-
iii We MS people in our sovereign capacity
federal and sta,e) possess the power to dc
tate terms to impose conditions on, and de-
mand qualifications of our voters, which
terms shal be accedcdto to, conditions compli-
ed with. and qualifications possessed. all AS
conditions precedent to the right of sut-
frage.
There are not in the United States to-day
voters enough possessed Of independence
sufiicien, to demand the political ou,lawry
Of any OF the vicious classes, much less NIL Of
them.
The colorcd vote was an error. because of
lite Ignorance, but il WAS just for the reason
that il would not have been fair Ameri- |
cans are fair 10 exclude free black |
man from the polls, when we were permit
ting. Yea inviting thousands Of "white Mig |
gers TO vote; the "colored Niger" could |
Justly plead his former condition of servi.
tude in mitigation OF his ignorance, the
''white Niger" with honorable exceptions.
had no plea except the inference of heredi
larry viciousnoss, laziness and pride. Ii is
put Ahfs III tuls CpuneClior, 10 stale luhb
The "black Niger has progressed in the
last twenty years at a pace equal TO, If not
more rapid, than his white brother, and
hough he has been accused OF selling his
rote, no charga has yet been made that he
has committed the crime of purchasing
rotes. The superior race Of white men has
,ver had monopoly Of this political COM
nerce.
Ii would be invidious to state which of
ne aforementioned illustrious ol,sses should
Dc frs; DISTINGUISHED, when they each have
ich high Claims 10 political distinctions;
he opinion however is ventured teat inebrty
md ignorance both white and black should be
he first excluded from the polls by the
'hangcs necessary TO be made in our cons,i-
uiion, followed BY laws 10 take effect in
time in the future.
"Hew to the line, let the chips fall where
hey may" is the only safe rule to go by.
{ one ''chip" hits ''nigger" lot him fall; if
nc hits a local politician let him "ditio;'' if
mother, candidate. take him off the track
nd pat on ~qusli6ed voter" How shis b 4
0 be accomplished mnst be determined by
be non-ofiiee holding and non-politicsl
lssses, and Independent voters; the poli,i-