Show TIE EIGHT OF SUFFRAGE A stato is transitionally great In which each L citizen has liberty according to his powers S S Ve believe therefore the ideal stato to i ncluaothe civil equality includf equaly or all adult persons and the participation of all in the partcipation al I government I of the state This development includes in-cludes the full citizenship of all resident ful citzenhip al normal nor-mal adults and the extension of suffrage to all I on the simple ground that all are rational bongs l bo-ngs rightfully interested in their Ing rightuly own social condition and government Differences In tho i ntclligence of classes sexes races will become be-come increasingly secondary and will secondar wi give way before the far more fundamental tact of fundalontu common com-mon powers and common interests f i withdrawal suffrage will always have the effect of the denial and abandonment of a prin oiple As a recognized failure it will long stand in the way ot any resumption of progress Suffrage may indeed be with held till it is won and ready to be taken but that failure must be complete and hopeless which will hOpccs wil justify an of fort to withdraw it 4 for withdrv That such a measure must be revolutionary is plain I we reflect that it will hardly be necessary till the Unreliable vote approaches a majority nnd will cease to be peaceably possible when the persons lobe disfranchised must be called on to perons narrow by their own vote their own rights Such are the words of Joux BASCOM in his standard work on ethics They deal with an important question in a brief clear and unanswerable manner Compared with this masterly and dignified presentation how utterly trivial utcrh seem the alleged seen aleged arguments argu-ments for the wholesale disfranchisement of the members of the Mormon church Thc argument that all Mormons should bo disfranchised because some of them have practiced polygamy i tho argument of a weak fanatic As if the disfranchisement of Mormons who are not polypahiists actual act-ual polygamists ate already disfranchised would havo any oScct in lessening that practice Such legislation might possibly revive a sentiment injsympathy ann a-nn no 1 11 uu I u v IHUlUJ iUUC upon tno ifcnocent i and tho guilty tho same punishment punish-ment It could not have any other possible effect upon polygamy it might cause many a man in Utah to still further expatriate himself by his oWn act but it CPlirate oull not touch the practice of tuch prctice polygamy To pun ish a man foi vbiit somebody else has done is a barbarity that it is folly to argue about Another socalled argument for disfranchisement disfran-chisement is that the Mormons believe in polygamy This is weaker I possible than the former pica Suppose it were possible to iind out what a mnn believes iirr suppose that by dissecting the brain of each of a lumber of typical Mormons and by stuuying the fiber with microscopes the inquisitors should Dually ascertain just what the Mormon believes average What then Would you punish them for the condUtulon of their minds For their be lief over which they have practically no control No man is responsible to his fel low inau for his huller The people herd admit that the Alli hj may punlhh men for belief or uLsueliel but they are unwil img that so delicate a matter shall be t placed in the haios of ijicu But i each person were perSOI separately ac cusedof a belie 1 i the rightfulness ot polygamy it would b s found thAt fiorao I j Mormons clio in that doctrine others havb no definite opinion concerning1 iJ COIlrnl whiLe others if put t tho tost of practicing it would rtject the dpctriuo altogether I For this reason on 1 i i were right to punish fcr belief raury would be punished who id not entertain cbjiiionublo be ller Clo s punishment is always wrong II it aim s punishes the innocent along with the guilty However nOt that polygamy I is adviIssue the schemers must have i sojrj other reason to offer in furtherance j of thsir designs to rulo in Utah They Uth < y now i I urg 1 That UoMormons belong to thoj sal cbunIi TJlih the offondinij poiijja I mists of the past or 2 That the Mormons i belo in fplygarny folk thcio propoi i j tlons ben dtruc there is still no reason I I I why any one but a savage or a fanatic vculd urge punishment of a class of people a a urtpbeqwsnce 1 i to be regretted that tc cssnlial c principles of hufflan liberty lib-erty aad equality bcfo0 the law are nbt moregcUercJly understood and appreciated j |