Evening journal., 1896-12-18
rHE nEMocRATIc IDEA.

writer in Harper's Magazine,
Professor Francis M. Thorpe, assumes
that the doctrine OF natural rights
which was made a fundamental article
of political faith m this country by
Jefferson. in his Declaration OF lnde-
pendence, has undergone a change. To
jefferson and his contemporaries, ac-
cording to this writer, it was a doctrine
OF individualism, while to-day 1t is one
OF communal rights. This modern idea
of the dominant doctrine OF the
American Democracy does not seem to
have been understood by the founders
of that party nor was the idea formu-
lated only in a general way in any
state paper
Il was applied as originally under
stood and defined elaborately in the
twenty-three constitutions which were
adopted by the states in the Union in
the eighteenth century and was
worked out in their legislation and
civil administration. In none of these
constitutions or laws is there hint
of the state or the nation as these
terms are now understood. Jefferson s
declaration is a classic political state
ment of the doctrine as it was under
stood at that period, when there is
said to have been little of any com
munal or social sentiment among the
colonies. This sentiment was encour-
aged with the second war with Great
Britain and has been growing ever
since.
The writer referred to says: INC
sooner was independence won than
new meaning was given to the doc
trine Of natural rights and equality
a meaning which began the movement
in this country, for universal suffrage
When washington was chosen presi
dent by the electoral college, not ont
of its members was elected by popula
vote. AS doubtless was originally in
tended. the presidential electors wer
appointed by the state Legislatures
Had the college been chosen, as to-day
by popular vote. not more than on
hundred and fifty thousand ballot
WOUlU nave UttM AeloA III "a ktHNh"'N'N
of three and a third millions, of whom
nearly half a million were slaves. Il
an equal population to-day the vot
would be six times as great In othe
words. restore the election laws o
1889, and the majority of voters woul
be disfranchised. Then those onl
could vote who possessed the pre-
scribed amount of land or of income
who accepted a prescribed religion
creed, and who were native-bor
whites. These restrictions applied to
day would cut off fully seven millio
of voters. The discomfort of the dis
franchised was soon expressed. -
man should vote because he is a man.
While the doctrine was being apple
in the extension of the suffrage, whic
in the course of a hundred and foul
teen years increased the number {
voters from one in twenty in the popI
lation to one in four, by first enfraI
chising the white man. then the blac
man and last in fifteen common
wealths,, enfranchising women-i
varying degree, from the right to hol
a school Office, as in Pennsylvania,
the right to vote and to hold any offic
as in Wyoming-the doctrine itse
was in state of evolution, and WI
gradually being applied to men indu
triously. as it has hitherto been appli'
10 them politically. Men by nature
so ran the new version, have an i
dustrial life; all are entitled to equ
rights" The transition to the new
depreciation was an easy one and [
conclusion obvious. THE state mu
rescue and guarantee this equality.
Chicago has a Chinese missiona