Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-01-09
RESTRICTED SUFFRAGE.

en- 10 a people cannot be taken away
without such a revolution in govern
nent as would result IN its overthrow.
t There is a constant struggle towards
greater freedom and more direct par
ticipation in the affairs Of government
among civilized nations and every point
gained is tenaciotsly held. At the
formation Of the government in most Of
the original states the right of suffrage
was restricted by certain educational
aud property qualifications. As time
passea and most of the voters possess
ed the necessary qualifications these
laws passed into disuse. AT the close
of the war Unrestricted suffrage was
given to the freedmen. This was con-
sidered necessary as protection 70
those just emancipated, but as the re-
suit has proved they would probably
have been safer without il. The gov
ernment gave tbers the ballot and then
neglected to protect them in the free
use of it. The extension Of suffrage to
the negro and by degrees to those who
were once rebels, as we'll as the easy
way we have of naturaliziug foreigners
has let loose upon the country a vast
multitude of illiterate voters. StatiS-
ties show that they are increasing and
becoming menace to the stability OF
our government. Can the ballot be
taken away by peaceable measures from
those TO whom it has once been given,
or can its exercise be so limited that in
process of time the illiterate element
shall be eliminated from a participation
in the affairs of the government? 4? This
is a question for the whole country. 1t
presses heavily upon the South where
i literacy is most prevalent. While the |
negroes may be improving in the mat
ter OF education it is pretty certain that
the majority of the negro vote is litter
ate, and it is exceedingly irksome to
the white people to be ruled over by
those who were once their slaves and
who have learned little or nothing since
gaining their freedom. Hence, the at
.empts to suppress the negro vote. lfl
q must be east, they reason, then we
Nill sotreat it as to nullify it. North
'rn men who live long in the South aud !
watch the movement of things, whatev-
r they may think of Southern methods
annot utterly fail to sympathize with
hem in the object to be gained. The
act that multitudes of the whites are
5 ignorant as the blacks does not mod :
Iy this feeling. An ignorant white !
nan does not wish to be ruled by an
ynorant black man. This is the DOM $
lant feeling and through almost gen.
ration it has found expression in vio-
,uce and fraud. The prospect of the
Iile of a party that demands that the
shall be made TO mean Just
that it saws, has led some in the South
} consider the question of restricting
he ballot. OF course, the purpose is
, cut off a large part of the negro vote.
INT it will not do to make this dis |
nctive issue, hence Southern men and
apers, to some extent, at least, discuss
he question upon the broadest grounds.
his must be so, for the North would
OF meet them upon any other ground. :
We believe that the colored men of the
outh should be required to read and ot
rite before they can vote. We be- .
eve that the same conditions should :
g imposed upon the white men of the e. ss
outh. We believe that not man ne
aiming citizenship in the United
iates should be allowed to vote who
Innot read the ballot he casts, in the
nglish language, and write his name =
plain that election judges can easily
ad it. This is one Of our strongest =
feguards against the rule of ignorance.
far as the South is concerned we n
ink this would settle many difficult E
S. 1t would take away excuses for
e i'll treatment of the negro. 1t might
stem the enlightenment of men of all
lors, who neglect to learn 50 long as
, necessity is not imposed upon them. N
e certainly believe Il would be safer