The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-21
THE NATIONS STABILITY.
Some Reflections Suggested ny a
Suffrage Demonstration.

81. rlo
To THE EDITOR OF u M "
thirty learned young ladies' VINO aoI nn
cap and gown and sat In a cosrt rooun
to sheer at a group OF men VINO WIZ
there swearing allegiance 10 our lepun
lie and receiving their a.utaHn',lo
papers presumably consiue,eu ,"aI
were giving a powerful OBJECT iesson ~
favsr or woman suffrage ia'seIy caIeI
equal suffrage Their caps ana gowns
forbid us to doubt the depth OF theIr
erudition but 1t Is evident that they aye
pitifully ignorant OF the purpose OF the
ballot in a popular election: our eiec-
lions are not held to determine VINO mas
tho most book learning, nut TOT soihe-
thing quite different ana AT least as I'M
portant. Those young ladies might as
properly put on their scholastic raimeht'
gather In ths rotunda OF a bank IN when
they have no FUNDS ana sneer at tne
poor people who are there depositihs
their little savings.
The hrst requisite Tor any government
10 stability. III 1t have no assurance OF
stability 1t might as well not exist. Ana
the only thing that can give such assur-
ance Is the presence behind every law
and every judicial decree or n power tnat
can sustain the law and enforce the de-
cree. despite n power that may Oa
brought to their overthrow. The oDject
OF a popular election is TO out whlcn
Of the parties contains this power ana
entrust tho conducting OF the Govern
ment to that party. IL Ia needless 10
say that in a republic that power con-
sists OF a majority OF the men. ana
nothing else. Even when three parties
participate. the successful one, though
only a plurality by the count, is the dy-
manic majority. because the opposition
Is divided. IL the opposition comes TO-
gether tho former party must IN turn
give way. That Is the entire philosophy
OF our elections. II forceless ballots
are thrown Into the box in SUCH num-
bers as to present a numerical majority
which is not a dynamic majority the
whole proceeding Is Nltiated' anarchy
impends and we must expect II sooner -
later, that Is to say. when we nave an
election In which important interests are
at stake and feeling runs high.
Those men who took out their papers
and swore allegiance that day may not
be good lingu!sts or expert mathema-
tieians, but they are now a part of the
power h a protects those same young
ladies' In the enjoyment OF their prop
erty, their liberty and their lives. Every
time that court administered the oatn
and issued the papers IL added the power
of one man TO the stability OF the Gov
eminent: 1t mustered in n recruit 10
our potential army.
The professional agitators for woman
suffrage assume that they negative al
this by citing the fact that some men
vote VINO would not make the most ac-
ceptaole soldiers. That Is only to say
mat the principle Is not carried out %
absolute perfection here. as It is I"
Swltzerland. IL II were we must cN'
GUIDE from the electorate not only th'
cr!pples but the Quakers' FOR the Quak'
ers are permitted to decline on con
s~cientious grounds, to do any military
or police duty, though they enjoy the
protection that results from that duty
performed by other men. The axempts
as they are called. though there is No
real exemption. are much fewer thar
as commonly represented and are nra p
tcally negligible. But here comes II
another important consideration II
case Of an insurrection. and since III,
adoption OF the Federal Constitution W
have had six instructions, got count
ing strike riots. a man that is "agin thu
Government Will not exempt himsr;
because he mas n lame .eg or veal
lungs; he Will be IN evidence with hi
riiie, and he Is a power 10 be reckoue
2 W 1 . VII ~ w INAIL Ill : LNI AEL