The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-09-10

on The side Of Law and cedsr. From tbs
class 10 which he belougn. and selected BY
that class, must come the representative
men who are 20 legisiase, the men who arr
to MI the executive o6lcess ana the men
who are to preside In our courts Of justice.
The old saying u that children must not
play with edged tools. and there 10 no tool
s~rous In = chiid's hands than The unre-
strained franchise 81 suffrage u dangsscus
In the hands Of the ignorant o. the oaSs
members Of acknowledgement IL the two
fold sense Of harm not only to himsif.
but Of harm 10 every Or. Edmund burks
said; What II nbfsty without wisdom and
without virtue? II n the greatest o. ell
ness. without tuition OF restraint"
have said that We ase q free people
In theory this u trse: IN reality u II true
with many qualifications and provtsos. In
tn. domain Of politics and government,
what In II. correctly speaking. 10 BE- freeY
In discussing any proposition. nothing n
more essential than 10 dsisrmlne. In the
nrst place. whether an understanding 10
reached on the dominant word Mutt q
man. 20 be Z free IMAM, have the right 10
do as he pieassS? No r.ghi-minded man
will answer this question IN the znirma-
tive. To 70 answer II ID 70 say that free
dom II uncontrolled license; and uncon-
troiled license II anarchy.
License they mean when they cry lib
erty."
There are men In our country 70 whom
this line Of M!iton's applies; and ~ simes
II would seen ~ u they Wers SncssasinS
In number rapidly
He the freeman whom the truth
makes FREE.
And all ara slaves besides,"
says another poet.
Freedom. ~ respects the citizens Of the
United States. II the right TO the protection
Of just laws which they themselves have
made. I, does not follow that . people
are free. Ia the true ssnse Of tho word.
simply bscause they are not the subjects
Of d king. The world never saw . tyrant
more despotic and cruel than Robespic'e.
For short time Frenchmcn dared not
call their souls their own. The melanchoIy
page ~ history tells NJ how often ruth
less and crushing tyranny II displayed by
numbers
free man IL one whose life. liberty and
prosperity are shielded from wrong by
law. and who. himself. n restrained by
law. The shield II over him ~ well
AZ around him. Those In authority ~ well
AZ those not In authority must respect his
rights. and. conversely. he must obey the
law. and respect the rights OF others. In
our country law In the expression Of the
will OF the people who vote. Reason and
Justice. therefore, demand that those who
exercise this sovereign power shall b
men 81 character and education.
As Lecky says: ITO place the conduct
Of Affairs In the hands Of loyal. trustworthy
and competent men h the most
important end Of politics" ny taxation .
burden IL imposed upon tho prosperity of
the citizen 10 dsfray the necsssafy expense
Of government. II II only right and just.
therefore. that tho man who votes shall.
bimself be- u property holder. IN placing
this burden upon others no II. at this same
time. placing II upon himself; and he who
has no property and who bears no part Of
tcrmiping how much the burden shall be.
Internationally We have gone too far In
this matter Of suffrage. We must rcirace
our steps II has been said that We can
not. but IL IL not true What In true is
that the men who. alone. ought 10 vote. do
not sufYcientiy appreciate tho necessity OF
retrogrcssion, II Will be rad that II this
class Of men have the power 10 disfranchise
others, they have tho power 10 govern In
~; things. and II they have the power -
govern Ia all things. there In no need 10
first blush this looks like sound argument.
but on further confederation II Will be
seen 10 be- unsound.
IL IL only on some supreme occasion that
a majority OF tho best citizens OF the coun-
try can be got 10 act together. Some great
danger must threaten. the recognition OF