Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-12-04
II DUAL BALLOT.

lroquois club banquet, suggested mat
every married man should have two
votes if he be Il citIzen-one for him
self and one for his wife. The eN-
senator does not believe that it is fair
that the vote of IA man who has neither
wife nor children should have rs much
influence as the vote or the man who
has a family. This in effect would
to give household suffrage, and in
directly give married women the right
to vote. Why the woman should not
be permitted to cast the vote for herself
according to her own view of duty is
not explained by Mr.. Doolittle. The
husband would east the ballot intended
to represent his wife just rs he would
his own, and he would simply have
two votes for his party and its candl
date. The married man would thus
WELD double the political power the
unmarried man has. This arrange
ment would be tantamount to dis
franchising single men.
In this country, "A property qualiiica-
ton would be both unjust and unre-
publican, though one of the most dis
tinguished Republicans of Iowa, Hon.
trine that no man should vote who in
addition to citizenship could not eX-
hibit AT the polls a receipt for taxes
paid on real estate. The double vote for
which marriage shall be a qualification
Is equally unsuited to our form Of gov
eminent. The Roman Republic had
special rewards for the man who was
the father of "A large family. The Ho-
man senator who contributed most to
the population was placed first upon
the list of senator's, but the man who
had only three children had few, if any
honorS thrust upon him. Had George
Washington lived in those days he
would never have commanded an
army and as for Cleveland he
could never have risen even to
the official dignity of u repre-
S~entave of Il town ward. The family
is supposed to be the uaiS of govern
ment. But the family is not 4 repub-
lie, It has nonc Of the elements Of the
! body polite. Ia the early days of the
American colonies a number Of fami-
lies in "A community was entitled TO a
representative in the political govern
ment, but when written constitutions
were adopted and became operative.
the family as a political fac,o. was
eliminated, and other political divisions
were substituted. If household sutl-
rage is to come in, let each head of the
family east the vote for himself, or
herself; then there would be such
representation through the ballot A.
would express the opinion Of the wifi
N' ' 80 nv hNo'i''lA''s
It is not thc dual vote that Is needed
to protect the family. Ii any change
in orr electoral system be made it
should be in the direction OF making
all the chief executive and representa-
tive officers elective by the people. The
president and the senator's OF the
United States should be chosen directly
by the people. II the people
are to have larger political
powers, they should be so incremated
rs to make absolute maioritics re-
quiSite to a choice. The president is
often elected by II minority, and the
senate. ON highest legislative body. is
in no secse the representative of the
people. 1t has but little sympathy
with the people. and is rather an Oh
struction to proper legislation than a
help. Before the mere increase of
suffrage there should be a wider dis
%trlbution Of political power among the
people. Mr.. Doolittle served in g
senate long enough to know that it :
full OF attorneys for special interests.
anG that as Don as a senator is elected.
II he is 4 lawyer, he is employed by
railway and other corporations. and
this not because he is "A LAWYER bur 70
senator. 1t is an indirect bride for his
vote. This was shown last winter
when the bill prohibiting senators from
taking employment rs lawyers. in
cases that might come before congress-,
was before the senate. Mr.. Edmunds.
OF Vermont, who has perhaps O
such employment tkan any man in the
senate was its stoutest opponent Here
is "A bio field for electoral reform.