The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-05-07
AN EDUCATIONAL TEST.
Such is Favored for Voters by w. A.
Funk i'm His Paper Before the
Sociei Science Club.
A Spirited Discussion as to Whether
Suffrage Should Be Limited or
Not.

The meeting Of the Social Science
club was well attended Tuesday anc
each member seemed to have an az
up his sleeve ready for use, and as {
result the discussion following the pa
pers was rather of spirited one. The
next meeting on May 18th will close
the club year, and the club instructed
the committee on arrangements fol
the annual banquet to arrange for the
banquet on May 10Th or 2lst as would
be best arranged.
DR.. j. W. Andrews gave notice OF
an amendment to the constitution SC
that debates could be held by the
club, if desired, and J. A. FlIttie gave
notice Of an amendment to allow the
club to include literary subjects
These will come up for consideration
at the next meeting.
Mr.. W. A. Funk read the paper of
the evening Oh Limited Suffrage, -
taking as his basis the educational
and property qualification. The lat
ter he opposed on the ground that it
would work an Injustice upon many
who are among the most intelligent
and upright voters Of the country, and
would also have the effect of creating
casGes in this country. On the other
hand he announced himself in favor
Of an educational qualification, and
believed that the citizen who was
able to read and write, was in bet
ter position to inquire into the science
and details OF government, than he
who was not. He said the "dream of
universal suffrage, INDUCED in by the
masses, may trace its origin to the
field Of Runnimede, where the mighty
English barons forced old King John
to give them voice in the admins
tration of public affairs: but it was in
our own country that that dream
found its full realization" He
then reviewed the provisions in the
various states regarding voters
Re ferring to the educational qualiti-
cations, he said whether the college
graduate be better man and makes
better citizen than he who masters
the three Rs in the district school
and secures the rudiments of an. ele-
mentary education, is a debatable
question, for the attachments of each
are usually the result of varied oppor-
tunity. But that either the graduate
of the college or of the district school
is superior, morally as we'll as intel
lectually, to the man who is wholly
illiterate, is a proposition that re-
quires no argument to sustain"
There were exceptions of course to
this as to all rules, but as whole he
claimed it would stand. He held
that the man who could not read and
had nothing of a rudimentary knowl-
edge of other common branches, was
not as rule an acceptable, safe and
intelligent citizen and not a proper
person to help make the laws of the
land. It is this element that is the
most easily and readily made the tool
of corrupt politicians, and most large
ly governed by prejudice, passion and
Gu pidity. The man who had not
energy and self respect enough to &C
quire the barest rudiments of educa-
ton, usually was not capable
of realizing and pricing the
value Of American citizenship.
He had no conception of
the attachments necessary for a good
governor or judge. What sort of a
member of school board would such
a man make? Where to draw the
line on an education was hard ques-
tion to decide, but he believed that
in order to vote the citizens should
be able to fairly read and write the
English language.
Mr.. S. B. Wilson opened the dis
cussion. He disagreed with the
writer of the paper entirely. He be-
lieved most empathically in univer-
sal suffrage. He held that if the
majority Of the state had the right
to deprive one set of voters for one
cause, they could debarthe entire mi
nOrity for one cause or another and
result in an exercise of unmerciful
power that would in time lead to an
America boasts Of the
freedom and equality of men and
their equal right to life, liberty and
When the colonies revolt