PART I THE CITIZEN'S PART IN GOVERNMENT CHAPTER I SUFFRAGE AND ELECTIONS zens are not voters. 13. The Voter and the Citizen. We are in the Why all citihabit of calling our governments "popular governments" because they represent the people, but of course not all the people - not all of the citizens even have a share in the election of our officials or in the work of government. As we noticed in the introduction, children are citizens if they were born in this country, or if their parents have been naturalized. Yet it would be absurd if they were allowed to vote. To vote intelligently, a person must have some knowledge of political affairs and. some experience in dealing with men. For these reasons, only Who are men have been allowed to vote heretofore, as they have owned most of the property and done most of the business of the nation. Many states allow only men who are citizens, but about one third of them confer the privilege of voting on foreigners who have declared their intentions of becoming citizens. voters. From colonial times to the present. Qualifications of voters. that it is not true that all citizens vote, although it is practically true that none but citizens may vote, for no foreigner may cast a ballot unless he will soon become a citizen. 14. Historical Changes in the Suffrage. Although we have to-day what we call "manhood suffrage," all men being allowed to vote, it is not many years since the honor of voting was the privilege of the few. In colonial times no man was permitted to share in the election of public officials unless he owned real estate. Our ancestors thought that it was dangerous to give the elective franchise1 to those who were not landed proprietors. Gradually this idea that a property qualification was necessary disappeared, and the laws were changed so that most adult male white citizens voted. Then came the Civil War, at the close of which the United States adopted the Fifteenth Amendment (1870), conferring the franchise on negroes. Since that time many laws have been passed to exclude the most ignorant of the whites and blacks, because they had not been able to vote wisely. 15. Who may vote at Present. We should notice first of all that there is no national suffrage law, all laws with regard to voting being made by the states and placed in the state constitutions. The United States Constitution, however, prevents the states from denying to citizens the right to vote on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude, so that, although the requirements are not the same in 1 That is, the right to vote. all of the states, the differences are, on the whole, not very great. The universal age limit is twentyone, no one younger than that being allowed to vote anywhere. All voters must also have been, for a short time, residents of the district in which they vote, and of their state from three months to two years. In over two thirds of the states all voters are citizens, but thirteen give the right of suffrage to foreigners who have declared their intention of becoming citizens. In four states, Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, and Utah, women may take part in all state and local elections. In Kansas they may vote at municipal elections, and in twenty other states they help to select school trustees or vote on questions of taxation if they own property. tions of voters. 16. Who may not Vote. Not only are children Disqualificaexcluded from voting everywhere, and women in most of the states, but several classes of adult male citizens are denied the franchise for reasons more or less excellent. Persons who are insane, or otherwise mentally incompetent, are universally excluded from voting, as are men convicted of some serious crime for which they have not been pardoned subsequently. Paupers in public institutions are often debarred from the suffrage, and many states demand the prepayment of taxes. Three of the New England states and a few others have attempted to raise the intellectual standard of the voters by shutting out those who cannot read or write. The majority of the Southern states, in their efforts to protect themselves from the ignorance of many of the blacks within C From nomination to installation. Efforts made to secure votes. their borders, have passed laws that no one shall vote unless he owns property or can read.1 17. The Steps in Popular Election.— Having learned who may vote, let us now turn to the election methods by which our public officials are chosen. When voters go to the polls and cast their ballots, they vote for those only who have been nominated for office. These nominations are made several weeks before the election by conventions held by the political parties. Between the nominations and the election, these nominees or candidates and their friends in their party make every effort in the campaign to win over the voters to their side. After the voters have expressed their preference in the election, the successful candidates are installed in office upon the day set by law for assuming their new duties. 18. The Election Campaign. The way in which candidates are nominated by the political parties we shall consider in the next chapter. Following the nominations comes the campaign, in which each party makes every effort to elect its candidates. Money must be obtained to pay the expenses of printing speeches and arguments and to secure the services of speakers, while personal effort must be made to obtain the support of the "waverers," and bring all of the party's adherents to the polls. In a city election, for example, the city committee takes charge of the campaign, and raises and distributes funds, 1 Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana have at present suffrage laws that discriminate against ignorant negroes. while the ward committees organize clubs, hold meetings, and perform active duties on election day. In the campaigns of to-day, fortunately, less appeal is being made to prejudice and selfish interests than was formerly the practice. of voters. 19. Preëlection Requirements. In one half of the Registration states all persons who wish to vote must register their names before election, showing where they reside and proving that they have a right to vote. In the other states, registration is usually required only in cities. These registered electors can then vote only at the election booth of the precinct or voting district in which they live. This enrollment is necessary to prevent men from voting in more than one precinct, as the officials in charge of the election may not have a personal acquaintance with the voters. lian ballot. Most of the states have now adopted, with some The Austramodifications, a form of ballot similar to that in use in Australia. The names of candidates of each party or ticket are placed in a column separate from the candidates of all other parties. Sample ballots are sent to the voters by the city or county clerks before election, so that an opportunity is given to learn the names and investigate the qualifications of the candidates. process of voting. 20. Holding an Election. A person who wishes to The vote goes to the polling place which has been selected for his precinct by the authorities and which is kept open about ten hours on election day. He first gives his name and address to a clerk, who records both |