The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-06-28

iOriry must be primary and abSo-
lutte. those of the individual
secondary and dependent. Hence,
Onr government, as expressed in
the preamble to the Constitution,
is qualification of the absolute
rights, as expressed in the Declar.
alton of Independence, The pre-
amble, in expressing the purpose
of the government. says: 1--WE,
the people of the United States,
in order to promote the general
welfare, do ordain and establish
this Constitution. etc. etc" The
government agreed upon and eS-
tabliShed to carry out that pur-
pose is operative upon the people
individually and collectively, and
within the sphere of its powers
upon the States also. 1t isa gov
eminent by maiOritieS. 1t strives
TO promote the welfare of the
greater number of its people. 1t
only guarantees the rights of the
individual so long rs those rights
do not conflict with the common
good or general welfare. Hence,
there can be no absolute individ
ual rights. either of life or prop
erty. There is no way of making
the lives and property of individ
ualS secure. unless the govern
ment has the power to take them
both away when the general wei
fare demands it, The Supreme
Court of the United States has
decided that the right to vote is
not privilege OF immunity of a
citizen of the United States.
Minor vs.. llapperSett, u Wallis.
1872. Our own Court of Appeals
has decided that the right to vote
is not property. Anderson VS..
Baker. % Md, 53l. Hence. it
comes to citizen not as a right.
but as a privilege, granted by the
State. 1t exists for the benefit OF
the State generally, and not pri-
marty for the benefit of the indi
vidual.
SUFFRAGE NOT \ NATURAL AMI
INHERENT RIGHT.
1t mas been contended that suf
frage was a natural and inherent
right, but this cannot be true
either as moral proposition or as
proposition OF positive law. 1t
might be the ideal doctrine. but
the time is not yet, when it i.
susceptible of being given prac
teal effect, it would be the mil
lenium. 1t might be desirable as
a moral proposition to have all
lawyers converted into ministers
and ali court houses changed into
churches. Yet, with existing
conditions there is no guarantee
that society would he advanced.
but rather the contrary. We have
already seen that liberty itself
must come from law, and some
measure of government is neces-
Sary to human existence. Prof.
Iowne, i'll his work On Moral Phil
osopy, discussing this question,
says: "The ideal is equality of
political rights, and in default of
reasonable and Just limitations
this should be the rule In a
community of angels. or of any
Hypothetical beings, endowed
with equal capacity and loyalty,
this rule would be self evidently
just. Continuing, he says: ''But
in the case of human society, the
problem is far from being sc
simple" There are manifold
distinctions Of age, sex and con
ditionS, physical. mental and
moral; these necessarily affect
the political rights of the person.
1t would be quite absurd to make
politically equal the kuaviSh aud
honest, the foolish and wise, the
lnfantile and mature. Only those
should be allowed to participate
whose character is in harmony
with the fundamental social aims.
Persons who are in rebellion
against society, or who are seek
ing to use social forms to further
schemes of iniquity. or who avail
themselves of their political
rights to disturb aud menace the
social system, thereby lose all
right to share in social guidance.
y low grade OF intelligence also
justly excludes from political
rights. Such persons are only
disturbing factors in society, and
when numerous they constitute a
grave social menace. Their ig.
norance leaves them an easy prey
to passion, and hence an easy
prey to the demagogue. When
the blind leads the blind, they are
sure to end in the ditch; but when
the devil leads them, the disaster
Is intensified, and commonly in.
wolves the byStanderS also. The
fundamental right OF all is to be
well governed. and the funda.
mental duty Of government is to
secure the common good so far as
that comes within its power.