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


the same as those of distinctly
State Importance. Thus it is that
the qualifications of voter must
look. not only TO his qualifications
in merely State and local cleo
tons. but likewise to his qualifi-
cations i'll national elections as
well. Hence, while suffrage is a
State privilege, (Cooley'S Consti-
tutional Law, page pa, Dec. of
Rights of Md. Art. A., and the
qualifications of voters are to be
determined absolutely by the in
dividual State, save the limita-
ton imposed by the 10Th Amend
ment to the Constitution of the
Unitd States: "That the right Of
citizens OF the United States to
vote shall not be denied or
abridged by the United States or
by any State on account of race,
color, or previous condition of
servitude.' Yet, the State i'll
determining what shall be the
qualifications of her voters shall
keep in mind the dual nature of
the government of every citizen,
and shall prescribe those qualif-
cations which will guarantee the
best interests Of the individual as
a citizen of the State and of the
United States.
GOVERNMENT NOT DEFECTIVE.
The Constitution of the United
States is a magnificent inStru-
ment, a masterpiece, the product
of wisdom and experience. The
State Constitutions are instru-
mentS of which their people may
well feel proud. The two con
strued together, the government
of the individual in it's dual ma
ture, is broad enough and strong
enough to reach every right and
privilege. And under that gov
eminent it may be rightly said:
tbi jus ibi remedium, meaning,
''There is no right without
remedy" Yet, while this is true,
it does not follow that the indi-
vidual gets what is due If all
men had perfect insight and good
will, equality of rights would be
the natural consequence, but such
is not nor is such likely soon to
be the case. The government it
self never changes, and in this
sence it is passive. How
ever, conditions change, and
"good willn is a variable GUAM.
tity. Hence it is that some legiS-
latlon, active i'll its nature, must
act as a restraining power in or.
der to keep up the continuity of
government, perpetuate public
order and protect individual
rights. Who shall participate in
that legislation and what shall
be their qualifications, the indi-
vidual State must decide. In
reaching that decision they are
to have ever i'll view the existing
conditions, and in order TO guar,
antee individual rights and equal
lty, the voter must not only pos
seSs the will to do right, but the
present ability to put that right
into avn,Dtinn
SUFFRAGE DOES NOT EXIST PRI-
MARILY FOR THE BENEFIT
OF THE INDIVIDUAL.
Suffrage is a State priv.
lege, it does not exist for the
benefit of the individual, but
for the benefit of the State it.
self. Cooley's Constitutional
Law, 276.
The purpose is public and gen
eral, not private and individual;
nor is this true in the United
States alone, it is true of all gov.
ernments. Without government
there can be no such things as
rights or property. Says Ben.
than: "Property and law are
born and must die together. be
fore the law there was no prop
erty; take away the laws and all
property ceases. If men had per.
feet insight and good will there
would be no need of society as a
restraining or coercing power,
there would be wisdom to under.
stand the conditions of life and
the common good, and there
would be the will to co operate in
securing it," But existing human
beings are not Of this sort. Some
measure of government is a neces-
sity to human existence. Men
lack insight, and in their ignor
ance they often contrive to poison
the wells of common life. They
are selfish also, and are all too
willing to set their egotistic aims
above the common good. They
likewise lack good will, and not
few are always ready to plumber
their fellows in one way or an.
other. Browne on Moral Phil
osophy. Keeping in mind that
some form of positive government