Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-07-10
The Power Behind the RalIo,

Gail Hamilton in the North American Re
view states, in her terse and forcble way,
what seems to her to be convincing argu-
ment against the extension of the right of
suffrage to women. Women" she says,
make great mistake in assuming that a
ballot il but piece of paper which woman
can drop into box as easily as a man. A
ballot means bullet, and q bayonet, forced
marches, digging trenches, sleeping on the
ground, carrying knapsack. Physical force,
whenever needed, must be administered by
men. No access of women voters would
bring any access of material strength to the
nation"
Without discussing, in any way, the mer-
its of the womans suffrage controversy, we
are led to question the theory of government
which is here asserted as if it were a self
evident truth. Does the stability of our gov
eminent depend upon the fact that ballots
stand for bullets and that the party which
has a majority of votes in an election can
summon a force of its retainers into the
field TO crush out all opposition to its de-
crees2 This is what is asserted at would
be very clumsy to fight out every election,
but 0Oting ii ont mould be Of no use except to
saoO that ii could be fought out if necessary"
II this is true then what we are pleased
to call our civilization Is only barbarism un-
der thin disguise.
But we believe that this theory is not only
not patriotic but that it is untrue. In this
country the majority rules, but this ia not
simply because it is supposed that in square
fight ten men have an advantage over nine
men. The election of last November was
accepted by the great Republican party, not
because the returns indicated that the Dem
ocrats could in the event of a civil war out
march, out-shoot and out. general them
Miss Dodge says; "a low civilization In
the Democratic party in 1860 refused to let
the ballot stand for physical power, but
found after four years Of fighting that phys
ioal power was what the ballot meant
very low form of civilization in the Demo
cratic party in Albany, in November, 1884,
threatened to make another trial of the same
kind, which would have had the same result
with even more emphasis"
One would infer from this argument that
in the war of the rebellion the lines were
drawn in exact accord with the election of
1860, and that every man who voted for Lin
coin shouldered a musket for the Union,
while every Democrat was a rebel Had
this been the case, and had the people fought
as they voted, the history of the country
would have been reversed, and many of our
most successful generals and thousands of our
bravest troops would have been counted on
the other side. The magnificent uprising of
the Northern people without regard to party,
baiiied all the plans which politicians had
formed from study of election returns.
The very provisions Of our constitution. in
the matter OF presidential elections, refute
the idea that an election ia "a nero show of
force, wherein the majority coerces the mi.
noriiy. A president may be oonstitutionally
elected, and yet have the popular vote largely
against him.
What is the power then, behind the ballot +,
There is physical force behind it, but il is
not simply the power of the individual vot-
ers, nor OF the party which happens to be In
the majority. 1t is the power Of The whole
people who are determined that tle oonstitu-
ton which they have formed shall be pre.
served. And back OF this is moral power
without which every change of parties would
be, as 1t is In the Central american republics
revolution. The wishes OF the majority eK
pressed in an orderly manner are obeyed, not
because our people are convinced that the ma.