Thank you for visiting SNEWPapers!
Sign up free
Story
November 19, 1866
The Evening Telegraph
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
What is this article about?
An editorial criticizes 'The Age' newspaper for defending opposition to impartial suffrage as principle, arguing it is actually indefensible racial prejudice against reason and justice.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
Not Principle, but Prejudice.
The Age seeks to steady itself against the
impartial-suffrage blasts that are now sweep-
ing through the Democratic organization, by
assuming the virtue of not abandoning prin-
ciple. But "principle," in the sense in which
it is used by our contemporary, is something
which has its root in reason. It would puzzle
any one, we think, to show what ground of
principle there is in basing the elective fran-
chise upon the color of a man's skin. Why
not as well upon the color of his eyes, or his
hair, or upon his height, or his weight, avoirdupois? It is not a man's physical accidents
that vote, but the personality—the thinking,
choosing, reasoning, immortal being. What
the Age calls its "principle" is nothing more
than an absurd prejudice, utterly indefensible
at the bar of reason, and at war with the
plainest dictates of justice.
The Age seeks to steady itself against the
impartial-suffrage blasts that are now sweep-
ing through the Democratic organization, by
assuming the virtue of not abandoning prin-
ciple. But "principle," in the sense in which
it is used by our contemporary, is something
which has its root in reason. It would puzzle
any one, we think, to show what ground of
principle there is in basing the elective fran-
chise upon the color of a man's skin. Why
not as well upon the color of his eyes, or his
hair, or upon his height, or his weight, avoirdupois? It is not a man's physical accidents
that vote, but the personality—the thinking,
choosing, reasoning, immortal being. What
the Age calls its "principle" is nothing more
than an absurd prejudice, utterly indefensible
at the bar of reason, and at war with the
plainest dictates of justice.
What sub-type of article is it?
Editorial
Political Argument
What themes does it cover?
Justice
Moral Virtue
Deception
What keywords are associated?
Impartial Suffrage
Racial Prejudice
Voting Franchise
Democratic Organization
Principle Vs Prejudice
What entities or persons were involved?
The Age
Story Details
Key Persons
The Age
Story Details
Critique of 'The Age' for labeling racial exclusion in suffrage as principle rather than prejudice, arguing it lacks rational basis and violates justice.