The Ellwoods (Volume 55; V. 246) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1904. Excerpt: ... A NEW CONSTITUTION. x. ROM this lengthy discussion with the Doctor, Mr. Slocum had much food for reflection. He thought, however, of the illiterate population writing ballots and of the possibility of their being persuaded to vote en masse for some revolutionary candidate on the eve of an election, which so impressed him that he decided to have the argument out with Dr. Ellwood at the first opportunity. This soon arrived, as it became necessary, prior to his departure for England, for the Doctor to execute certain legal documents at Slocum's law offices. These affairs having been attended to, Slocum challenged Dr. Ellwood's theory of the ballot, by remarking that he feared the great masses might not vote as intelligently as was anticipated, if given so free a hand as the written ballot; he thought also that some safeguard must be kept to restrict, at least, the number of candidates for office. "I think you wrong the masses, Slocum, by such a suspicion of their intelligence; but my feeling is, in reply to this objection, that the ballot should be restricted to such individuals as have an actual interest in the government. We should apply the same system of criticism to the right of suffrage as we have to the ballot itself." "Is there anything, then, to be corrected in regard to suffrage in the United States?" asked Slocum, now almost alarmed. "There is much yet to be said upon both sides of the suffrage question. The first principle of liberty is the right of representation. The very rebellion of the original states themselves was based upon the right of taxpayers being represented in Parliament; no taxation without representation And yet all through the history of these United States, efforts have been made to restrain from representation at the polls no...