The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-12-09
THE RIGHT or SUFFRAGE.

exercise Of American manhood suffrage,
such as is the rule of our present system,
the Filippinos would acquire forty five
Congressman by apportionment and that
these would practically WELD a balance
of power in national legislation. This
is entirely true, on the broad assumption
that the ballot would be extended to the
inhabitants of the Philippines as Ameri-
can citizens; and it is quite as certain
that opposition to the absorption of those
islands is largely due to the danger fore
seen in the popular exercise of the voting
franchise by their benighted natives.
It is to be regretted that our own peo-
pie are SO little generally informed as to
the Constitutional nature of the suffrage.
Comparatively few seem to understand
that there is no authorization of the free
exercise of the ballot in the Constitution
Of the United States and no warrant for
it set up by the Declaration of American
Independence. The former merely stip-
ulates certain fixed conditions that shall
not be employed as bar to the right of
ballot and the latter makes no allusion to
the subject.
To Congress belongs the surisdictional
determination of the matter, and TO the
States belong the limitations and imme-
date regulations for the use of the ballot
within their respective boundaries. The
Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitu-
ton, which was simple act of Congress
afterward ratified by wo-thirds of the
States, provides that there shall be no de-
NAL of the right to vote "because of race,
color or previous condition Of servitude;;"
but this does not deny the right of State
to restrict the use of the ballot for other
causes. To violate the Constitution the
act would have to declare in terms that
it barred the voter because of race, col
or" etc.
AS to the declaration that representa-
ton and taxation are inseparable, these
conditions are exemplified in our terrific
ries, wherein the people at large are duly
taxed and duly represented in Congress,
but by delegates who have no vote. It is
seen, then, that even representation does
not carry with it the right of the ballot.
Nor, inherently, does citizenship. Hum
dreds of thousands of legal suffragists do
not vote at our elections and millions Of
Tour citizens have no right whatever to
cast ballot. In the District Of Column
bia, the very seat of the ideal of free re-
publican government, no American is al
lowed by law to vote, yet any reputable
American can there become citizen.
So that, on the score Of politics, we do
not think there is cause for opposition to
the absorption of the new and rather het-
erogeneous peoples of the West India,
Sandwich and Philippine islands. They
may never have vote, and certainly not
for length of years and then with rigid
limitations. 1t may be score of years
ere either of them acquires represents
tive in Congress with greater prerogative
than merely to catch flies when he opens
his mouth, which he cannot do in speech,
and he may never vote at all.
/
THE Presidents message disclosed no
determinate Executive foreign policy for
the country. Whatever may be said of
this by those who favored party division
on the war results, Mr.. Mckinley has
undoubtedly shown courage in choosing
the conservative middle ground and max
ing it possible, even incumbent, on Con- |
gress to deal with the whole question on
its merits, compelling the main terrific
rial and like questions to originate with
the body constitutionally clothed with
the authority to dispose of them. The
President realized the improperly of APP
pearing to apply a personal policy to
matters that equally affect all sections
and all citizens of the country, and be
has sensibly laid the onus of settlement
on the intelligence and patriotism of the
peoples representatives in Congress.
EVEN from the Spaniards our military
authorities may take hint in the con-
struction of field works for infantry pro-
lection, which are dug squarely to the
depth of the chin, are fat and clear at
the bottom, the. earth having all been
thrown to the rear. This is then filed
into sacks and tied. The rifles of the sol
diers are now laid at individual distance,
pointing outwardly, along the front edge
of the trench and the sand bags are piled
between and above them, leaving loop
hole OF about ten degrees play for firing.
At the butt of the gun the man is almost
invulnerably safe from bullets.
j. HARRY GREEN, of Plainfeld, who
was recently fined $50 for having four
20 1,l,;+e 1,oforo fl,a yarna aaas0n had ccrY,-