The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-07-17
WEDNESDAY July H. 1901
LIE MAN ANp ms vorg.

hE MAN ANU his w Z.
Some Of the Cuban statesmen pro.
pose novel clause in the island con-
stitution It Is that while every man
above p years Of age shall have a
ballot fathers shall have at least one
ballot more than men who are child.
less
The proposal seems fantastic at
first glance. But inspection lends a
glow OF what may be described as
practical romance to a voting system
thus distinguished
lnanimate possessions have fire.
quently constituted a suffrage quail
iication This qualification IN either
the form OF inherited or acquired prop
erty or the payment Of taxes directly
or indirectly may be said to be an al
most universal political prescription
for the privilege Of participating IN
the direction of government.
Once K was described as doing the
voting. John Smith paid a tax on a
mule. Tom Brown paid no tox.
Smith could vote because he was q
tax payer Ergo It was the mule that
voted
For a long period IN the British
islands a man had as many votes as
he had ratable farms In the kingdom.
He could vote in one constituency
early in the morning as tax payer,
d ito across boundary ara vote in
another " he paid taxes there Thus
his ballot could be multiplied inden
nitely and the demand zone man one
vote has not yat been engrossed upon
the statutes AZ one time abbesscs
enjoyed voting privileges in and out
OF parliament on a like basis
There is a fundamental equity in
permitting the tax payer to determine
how the taxes shall be applied But
in the development Of cities in a new
country il may be feared that the
poor would be left withcu. primary
necessities If only tax payers could
decide where water mains should be
laid and how sanitation should be ef-
fected and thus the entire communi.
~ might be made 20 suffer in conse.
quence OF inadequate or rrojuciced
appropriations for education and or
der as Wen as for other necessities Of
life in cities
Possession OF animals was deemed
from am early age wealth. Pecunl
afy comes from pecus for the hide
was prime utility ia civilization ana
cattle were long a species OF currency
as weil as commodities OF commerce.
The COW was q standard OF value i'm
tribal communities Herds are today
one OF the greatest sources of power
ia the world, monetary aa wen MS
social Shall not possession OF sons
and daughters count for something?
a tax payer with children Is far
more a tax payer directly and lndl
rectly than a tax payer without child
rem. he must be more industrious, n
not equipped with inherited capital
than the bachelor He has given the
hostages TO fortune" which make
men reflect twice whore other men DO
not reilect at an
a man with children has far
deeper stake In the community than
the unmarried man. He must pro
vide not only for the present Of the
community according to his means.
He must concern himself with IFS
future welfare.
For the man with children posteri
~ may be said paradoxically at least
10 have done something Il viii per
petuate his name His memory IS 70
be cherished when that OF childish
men win have persisted The voter
with children ought to be eaabled in
some effectual way 20 exert more IN
fuence in building Tor the next gener
alton than he who has no parental
concern In the next generation
france is SO deeply perpleSed over