Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1909-01-28
0gfY Or PRIVILEGE, WHICH,


h the discussion Of the suffrage
Question, which has lately become gen.
eral with the Democratic newspapers
in Virginia, some very queer and con-
fiicting positions are being occupied.
The manifest disposition of the Demo
cratic press is to treat suffrage as an
essential Of citizenship which certain
number Of persons can appropriate to
themselves as q right, and, then, grudg-
ingly extend to others ut fixed price,
at so much Per head; and arbitrarily
deny it to others for what is claim
ed to be sufficient moral and legal
cause. This position Of the Democracy
marks a complete departure from the
honored old doctrine of the party, free
manhood suffrage. Its practice means
the overthrow Of the doctrine that SOW
ereign power is lodged in the people,
and places that power in the hands of
preferred class of citizens, an oligarchy
in republic.
At certain other times the Democrats
papers and leaders earnestly treat the
exercise of suffrage as civic duty that
attaches to citizenship. This sane and
just estimate Of the principle OF suf-
frAge is generally avouched Immediately
preceding elections, or at such times as
1t becomes necessary for men to qualify
themselves for voting under the rigid
and deceptive suffrage laws that form
q part Of the new Constitutions. Then
it is that Democratic journals make
their heartrending appeals to all good
(Democratic) citizens to prepare for
and surely perform their highest civic
duty, the depositing of their ballots at
an approaching election. If it is a
duty at such times, it is duty at all
times, and never a privilege, for duty
implies right TO act. II it is a privi-
lege at one season it is privilege at all
seasons, and never duty, for privilege
means a license to act. When citizen
is given authority at fixed price to do
certain thing as = privilege, he il
merely licensed to do or refrain from
doing it as he may elect. The license i'm
poses no moral or legal obligation to use
it. He has bought the thing and can
cast it aside unused without transQress-
ing his civic duty.
But, is voting civic duty? The Viz
ginia Democrats, when occasion suits
them, claim it is; and Governor Folk,
the great Democratic reformer, in y
recent message to the Missouri LeSiRlh4
ture declared that the exercise of sufNJ
frage was the most sacred duty of an
American citizen. How then, can this
exalted duty be degraded into a pur-
chasable privilege? With what man or
class of men is lodged the legitimate
power to brand it privilege and sell it
as such? What right has any class of
citizens to deter other good citizens
from the performance of this civic
duty by placing barriers and pitfalls
between them and the ballot box? The
performance of this duty rests upon
every good citizen as q moral and legal
obligation to do something that is
morally right; and its exercise inheres
to him as a right and not as a privilege.
ANY organic or statutory law, of any
State of the Union, that reduces suf-
frage from civic right to licensed
privilege is in conflict with the genius
Of our republican democratic form of
government, and does violence to the
Bill of Rights and the Declaration of
Independence.
Suffrage is right acquired by and
attached to citizenship. 1t is not
privilege owned by one usurping class
Of citizens to be sold or even given to
other classes. 1t is the common prop
erty of all citizens.