New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-12-16
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES HIS REMEDY.
UNIVERSAL. UNLIMITED FRANCHISE. CoRRE-
sPoNDENT THINKS. is THE CAUSE
OF MIsdovERNMENT.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: That there is a gathering OF the forces OF
law. order and decency against the Tammany
regime Of misrue in this city is evident enough.
but to the disease affecting tine body poll
tic It is not enough to complain Of the effects Of
Tammany's government. nor yet to paint pictures
alike narrowing and revolving of crime and vice
triumphant in midst. If rest our efforts
there. OF all the communications that have come
under the eyes Of the writer, but one person, the
Rev. DR.. Grove, of West Eighty-hrst-st.. has
pointed out the cause of our misgovernment and
indicated the remedy. The cause is universal I'M
limited suffrage; the remedy is Acknowledgement
1t ought not to need proof that the voter should
possess certain qualifications he be allowed TO
exercise the privilege Of suffrage for the reasons
are automatic. However. lest some carp or others
fear that liberty is menaced here are the three
propositions:
First-Inasmuch provide free schools at the
public expense unable to speak, read and
write decently the English language and also
furnished with common school education. should
be permitted to vote. 1t costs the taxpayers
good deal to provide free schools: So IT is only fair
to say to the ignorant and the lazy You must step
one side and let the lawmaking be done by those
Of understanding. Likewise, our taxes heavy
to maintain courts, justice and the police, and ii
costs heavily to restrain malefactors and punish
them and at the time to protect the decent
portion of the community from them. Hence. the
second proposition should be to disfranchise the
criminal. the rowdy the drunken and the lawless
elements of society. As it is the ignorant,
the rowdy and criminal classes are the chief sup
port talong with our ignorant foreign population
of Tammany misrule. But for them Tammany
could not exist; for il would be shorn of its
strength, and, like Othelo, find its occupation
gone" Lastly only those paying some tax should
vote. even If that tax be no more than poll tax
Of say s25 to $50. The municipal taxpayer is most
grievously oppressed. the burden of taxes being
mainly borne by real estate owners. Yet Elec-
ton Day he is urged to do his duty as man and
a citizen. only his vote nullied by the hordes
Of the ignorant, the Iawless and the impoverished
classes. These last put the brutal knaves into
power that have ever misgoverned and insuted
the decent citizens. and will continue do If
do not apply the remedy.
We might well look at the facts and diagnose
the disease before begin to treat 1t. Other
WISE results will parallel that of the indi-
vidual afflicted with Brights disease of the kid
neys, with tuberculosis heart failure, that
should go TO chiropodist instead and get his
pared. The fathers of this Republic of ours never
intended 10 give universal suffrage. We have tried
IT. and II doesn't work we'll nor is II just. In the
South the ignorant element of the population is
properly being barred out from the suffrage the
sooner tread I'm their footsteps the better for
good government for enlightened and competent
rulers, and the suppression of the lawless.
A MANHATTAN TAXPAYER.
New-YOrk Dec. g. 1900