Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-19
northern, and q Democratic President ~
safe as Republican President.
And here the money Is. stand by the
Democratic Tariy, ye true men OF 'A'
SOufh
SOLVING the Surplus Ioroblom.

The Pro, idcneo journal has evolved a
brilliant polJico. financial scheme, ana one
thu, may point the way for our national iegiS-
lators 10 solve problem that u giving
them a great deal Of trouble. The "Plan'
talon" Of Rhode Leland l. law unto itsef
in many respects. Nosouihern state wou'd
sec a moments peace from the organs hiG
the Constitution Of that State contain a
provision In respect oi suffrage tha'
= in the Rhode Island Cohsu'u-
tion. Iudeed, it Is safe to ,ay
that were Rhode Island an ap9re1iiole
factor in the makeup Of the United sat :
it would see very little peace until Il h'd
eliminated from It's Constitution The feature
referred TO. But 10 the JOWn1FS bril'nh'
scheme. Rhode Island requires man 70 De-
pfoperty.holdcr in order that be may he
full voter. All citizen, must he pos'es'ed"I
a freehold Of one hundred and talr'y'ioui
dollars IN value. or rctting OF seven doILIs
per annum. TO this requirement there Is
n0cxcept,on a. regards naturalizcd citizens.
llt tattNc-hoIU tltlHtu9 my WV "''
when the imposition OF tax or the eX-
rcndiiure Of money is involved without
The [ropCrty qualification, If they have re-
,ided in the state six months, have regis
tered, and have paid taxes to the amount OF
one dollar within year or served one day
IN the militia. In other words, nttllrallIed
citizens are absolutely dlsirarchl>cd unless
they are frccholdcrs, whilst natiye'0orn
citizens not frccholdcrs are partially us
franchi,ed But the "half voters
X found, do not avail themselves IN
great numbers OF their privilege. They
belong for the most part 10 4 class win
abom dollar is dollar, and IT Is dlliicuU
70 persuade them 10 register. The J0Uhdt
complains that these "GO not sh0" interest
enough in their government TO east even
occasionally vote" and has, after looking
about for some time for remedy for the
evil. struck upon one. alt has been suS-
gCs,ed," SAYS our contemporary, and 1t en-
dorsCs the suggestion, "that instead of
imposing a tax Of one dollar the
state should offer that reward. The
slate, money!" continues the Jour
mol. "would certainty remove the
necessity for raising large sums for cam
pmgn expenses, and at the same time cause
each voter to feel that he was in the employ
If Commonwealth and not Of party ma-
chine" Now, ii that j. not brilliant idea
what is il? Nor need the operations OF
such n scheme he confined to Rhode i.
land. Why not amend the Federal Con-
stitution and apply the scheme to the soIl-
ton Of the veXatiOuS question OF getting
rid Of the surplu. in the United states Irea-
sur,? The subsidized would 0tc0urNe
vote with the powers that subsidized them.
The scheme put into practical operation in
Rhode Island would keep the Republicans
in power in that state forever. BY the
.nme token the Substituting Of voter, In
general elections by the use OF the surplus
would keep the administration in the hands
OF The Democrats forever. This latter re-
sui. nigh, not suit the journal, but con-
sisttncy demands that it advocate distrlbu
ting The surplus a we cave indicated.