New-York tribune., 1894-06-25
BOSS RULE AND UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE.

BOSS RULE AND UNIVERSAL SURF RAGE
A LIMITATION RATHER THAN An EXTENSION OF
TIE FRANCHISE WHAT IS NEEDED
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: Apropos OF the agitation in favor Of extend
Ing tho franchise 10 women Unfortunately. it
becomes perilncn; 10 inquire what ~" other half
OF creation mas made OF !ts privilege of 'un'versnl
suffrage and the answer that II has mad" a mess
of T. would be given by an increasing number or
thoughtful people It Is in thn government OF large
cities that the experiment has fniled most con-
spicuously although IN country districts, too. the
local managers and bosses have learned how 10 get
In their "nnc work. TO an extent which is very
dscouraginG.
Popular government. government by the ma
jority Of the people. Is good thing. but 1t does
not necessarily lead 10 an absolutely unrestricted
suTrnge England has what may well be called
free institutions n popular government, but not
universal suffrage The proportion Of the adult
male population which has vote in England may
perhaps be about three-fourths Of the whole. but
there il a large lowest stratum which Is excluded
to the immense gain Of all. Few thoughtfn' per
sons in this country would deny that II a certain
lowest stratum say fourth one-nfth. were
excluded here through the working OF an ednca-
tional. a small property qualification. or both
the remaining three-fourths four-nfths would be
able t. give us a much more decent and honest
sort Of government than We are able to secure
under existing conditions.
suppose We had an educational qualification. AMI
besides that small poll-tax s. imposed upon
every voter as a prerequisite 10 regs;rat0n-no
pol-tax no votes II not probable that tnere w'uI
be great clearing ui IN the HurkE hnnio7Ph,,, ~,
OF our local politics? The citizen who values his
right OF suffrage enough to save up and pay his
& for the privilege 0usht to have vote ahL tho-e
who would not care thnt much for the privilege
had much better stay away from the polls sup
pose that these two qualifications together were to
cut OF. say, ~ per cent or our voters IN ciy or
counties. can there be reasonable doubt that the
remaining ~ per cent wouii DO great deai De-
t.! without then . T., ,.,, eur,
gestion insllous design 70 get rid OF the pnor
mans vote? BY no means. 80 far ~ the vote OF
vans T., eei ri 81 thc vote OF such as ,hcy i:
IS the vote Of the idle shiftess and worthless
vnung man who a twrnty.one wears OF age NAV
be quite Ignorant OF the clty's needs and indiner-
be too law 10 Be earning money or too ex'rlvagnni
10 have saved any. and who consequenty would
have vote because he has not the s. 20 pay a
PREREQUISITE to rgssf''9 may a, "eTy nSssiTy
working man taking an Intelligent !n,erc-; in pub
voters at the prescribed price. Ills vote would
ien be Geen Fa9 o- TO- w. seG hqp Il c a. cn T @ Of
good government az II would not have helped be-
Another most important consideration is tha,
the fraudulent vote would be pretty much wiped
table precincts where enormous vote Ia regis
tered and cast. or at least counted on tlecton
small tax had 20 be paid on rrgisir1non' 10 'ar
those persons really exist. how Few would pay
Imagination. IL Is certain that ,he register Could
N any way be ma ie rs,,is.pir 10y ,le ~ ~
prr head. Let your readers think OF the ioriy-on'
voters registered from ll,te ak room hou.e IN
the Market Space precinct OF this city. AMI % the
70s returned a. having voted IVA That precinct at
{"r l'' ,hS 'S ring caiiaa.e Wh sncn aw in force
would DE tho maiorities In som' of the ban
ner" wasds IN mos; Of our large cit.esf
How arx" the ir9udnont y,ie Is u tns c''y N, n
frani vote Plus the controlled vote runs up ini'
many thousands by the controlled vote mean.
Of course the vote Of thoTe VINO are J., ne emio>
necied with and dependent them. ana also the
vote Of the nquor dealers the policy players ani
others who have - look 20 the ruing, powers i"r
or less OF favor Or immunity. II = In the
tha; the power OF the local boss chiefly consists.
Il IS Just beoause IN" avertgg Eool citizen casts
interruptions bosses casts. say. l0Op votes that
the problem of decent government hcrs and In
10 solve. Most % our large cities under cond-
uoH7 Of universa. suffrage. are groaning n'nr2ih
limited through an educational quniincaton, ne
large cities Of the IniteI Kingdom wh~rc snfrrage
Is further Iniicd hIs rule Is unknCwn. siikht
Increase the weight Of every decent citizens vote
while 1t would force the bosses and ow-llvcd poll
irksomeness Of honest industry.
Tho Hon. Jonn Randolph Tucker. Of Virginia. In
American Bar Association, he delivered before that
question whether We have not pressed the ldea
OF manhood sunrnge beyond rs lXitimate bounds
and pointed out that IN the Norm ana IN me
South suffrage H. recently sought to be associ1ied
with the tax-paying burden end with cduca
tional qu1lln cation and later in his address men
tiOae1 as noteworthy fact that during the last
year Vermont grants municipal charters limiting
sufrag" 10 taxpayers
TIE Constitutional Convention OF New York hal
much better address tsclf to the task OF limiting
tha existing suffrage rather than waste tnc over
the agitation in avOr OF extending n 10 all women
az well.
I;y many people "unversal' suffrage. now
understand it-univcrsal male sunrage-is regarded
as II Il OF 4 self-evident nnl inherent
SAN ;ity. axiom necessary postu.ate Of gov
ernment: there others who have lOs' faith IN
Il. but who consider +: good f"tch - cOnjurr with
and good stock In trade for platform oratory There
are O;a"rs again who. Judging II by Its fruits do
not hesitate To- pronounce II. 80 far. = failure
FREDERICK j. BROWN.
Baltimore. June %, 1894.
REPUBLICANS AND \ STRAIGHT TICKET
SOME VIEWS FROM \ MEMBER or TIE PARTY