The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1903-12-25
POPULAR SUFFRAGE
Shall il be Restricted as Pro-
posed by Politicians?
The Vicious, not the Uneducated
Should be Eliminated.


Assembly takes up the matter of re.
stricting popular suffrage, at It's APP
preaching sitting. along the lines in.
cicated by certain Democratic news
papers. its effort will be directed to.
ward Strengthening the power OF the
dominant party rather than toward
purifying the electorate of the Com
monwealth.
But IL that body wants to make a
really honest effort to Insure the State
against violence through the ballot
box, the opportunity is at hand.
The already large and rapidly increas-
ing number of purchasable voters is a
real menace to good government that
may we'll arrest the attention Of
thoughtful lawmakers. Startling as
the figures may appear to the general
public, those who have had to do
with practical politics, know that
there are more than 10000 voters In
Kentucky whose votes are purchase
Bile; a number far In excess of any re-
cent or any probable future majority
Of a political party In the State.
With such an electorate, 1t Is plain
that pelf has long odds on patriotism
In a contest for control Of the state.
district and county governments.
An educational ballot would 90 only
a small way toward correcting this
evil, and that at the sacrifice Of
principle long cherished by law-mak-
ers OF Republican states-univeisal
suffrage. 1t Is not difficult to offer
well-taken objections to the doctrine
of universal suffrage, but II 1t be as
tablished that popular suffrage may
be abridged for one cause, causes may
be multiplied until, by the interest or
caprice OF those who happen to be for
the time in power, suffrage may be
restricted until II Is destroyed. 1t Is
not the ignorant, but the vicious,
who endanger the state With the
tendency of the times toward central
izstion of wealth In few hands, and
with vast aud ever increasing army
of "fioaters." the possible oouse-
quences to popular government are
Indeed alarming. am aware that
statutes exist providing punishment
for trafficing In votes, but for reasons
well known to those INDUCING IN the
traffic, II not to everybody else. no at
tempt Is made to enforce them. But
the evil can be remedied. The State
OF Indiana has law against vote sell
Ing which Is rendered effective by the
omission OF penalties for the vote
buyer. noticed recently that thirty
men were sent, from one county, to
the peuitentisry for selling their votes
In that State. The Indiana law-mak-
ers certainly did not mean to canon
lie the vote buyers as saints by fail
Ing to provide punishment Tor their
ofiense. but were seeking a practical
remedy for the corruption OF popular
elections.
Selfish interests to which law-mak-
ers must often appeal. will opepte
to enforce such a law. New York
has Law requiring candidates for Of
Zee to file sworn statements OF cam
paign expenses. The Indiana and
New York laws operating In conjunc.
ton would go long way toward
remedying the evil. There are doubt
less other and better remedies for this
gravest danger to free government.
But I am not undertaking 10 point
out remedies, but to call attention to
the real danger to the state; a danger
the predicted action of the General
Assembly Is inadequate to reach.
If the elimination of the negro vote
10 contemplated In the proposed edu-
cational ballot, the means are not
we'll taken. The younger generation
of negroes, whom the dominant party
insists are the least responsible OF
their race, can pretty generally read,
and 1t should not be forgotten that
the minority In Kentucky Is too large
and powerful to allow such an inter
probation OF the law by election off,
GERS, as obtains In more Southern
states. to discriminate against the ne
gro voters.
II the majority In the General AS.