The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-17
SUFFRAGE IN ENGLAND.
The Mass of Voters Regard 1t as Purely
Commercial Commodity.


Commercial Commodity.
''Gath's' New York Letter.
Said [: Don't you think, Mr.. Depew that
the wide artificial distinctions in England and
the old feudal powers and riches may have
caused such decentralization"
"That may be the case. l have noticed in my
journeys to England that something or other
has lowered the political interest of the people
there. On one occasion a respectable English
merchant addressed me when / was abroad at q
time when there was quite political CONFUSION
in the country. | asked him, when | had the
opportunity, if he was not very much interested
and his people in general, in that change That
was about the time that one of the reform bills
was up to extend the suffrage. Why said the
British man, L don't think anybody cares much
about the blasted thing. There was a time when
we had less of this suffrage, and then a mans
vote was in great request, and he could some
times get enough out of it to support himself for
a large part of year. But now that the suf
frage has been increased nobody in particular
gets anything for their vote, and, therefore, |
think it is not of the least consequence What
do we want with these beggars from below mix
iEg with the ballot for2 They have made it i'm
possible for person of respectable condition tC
get anything for his vote any longer
Again" said Mr.. Depew, 81 took long ride
of whole day in the vicinity of Salisbury, in
England, and employed the most intelligent
coachman at the leading hotel there. The same
general crisis was on | said to him: i suppose
you are very much interested in the extension of
suffrage to men of your classF He said he
hadn't heard anything about it. Said L. Are
you not aware that bill is before Parliament
which will open the suffrage, the ballot to a
great many of your peOpleg He said he had not
heard anything about the subject. Said l: Do
you hear anything said about it in the circles
you go amongF No Wouldn't that subject,
if you had heard of it, give you some INTEREST,"
He said he thought not; that there time
when the ballot was public, and then man
voted to some advantage for his family, but
since the blasted thing had become a secret bal
lot, nobody knew how a man voted, and there
fore nobody would pay any more for votes
Said l. Mr.. Depew is not all this horrible
inequality of pride and independence, in
matters of bodily virtue, a residue of old
feudalism which exists in England more than
elsewhere?"
LAS to that" said the president of the New
York Central railroad, modern times and laws
began in the surrender Of the feudal privileges.
Everything once belonged to the lord of the
country or the shire or the province. In course
of time he began to compromise for a sum of
money upon his rights. Among those rights
the power to get his portion of the crops in
the fields That compromised for what Is
he compromised personal service for the personal
property tax. Another right enjoyed III feudal
times that Of the baronial lord having the
bride on her nuptial night. That was compro-
missed for tax called thighage; so that taxation
as it stands is independence obtained by compro-
missing for these onerous and insulting taxes "