t way; a clause which authorised the enlargement of
the suffrage in certain cases to be specified by statute. To offer
to "limit" the suffrage might have made instant trouble; the offer to
"enlarge" it had a pleasant aspect. But of course the newspapers soon
began to suspect; and then out they came! It was found, however,
that for once--and for the first time in the history of the
republic--property, character, and intellect were able to wield a
political influence; for once, money, virtue, and intelligence took
a vital and a united interest in a political question; for once these
powers went to the "primaries" in strong force; for once the best men
in the nation were put forward as candidates for that parliament whose
business it should be to enlarge the suffrage. The weightiest half of
the press quickly joined forces with the new movement, and left the
other half to rail about the proposed "destruction of the liberties"
of the bottom layer of society, the hitherto governing class of the
community.

The victory was complete. The new law was framed and passed. Under
it every citizen, howsoever poor or ignorant, possessed one vote,
so universal suffrage still reigned; but if a man possessed a good
common-school education and no money, he had two votes; a high-school
education gave him four; if he had property like wise, to the value
of three thousand 'sacos,' he wielded one more vote; for every fifty
thousand 'sacos' a man added to his property, he was entitled to another
vote; a university education entitled a man to nine votes, even though
he owned no property. Therefore, learning being more prevalent and more
easily acquired than riches, educated men became a wholesome check upon
wealthy men, since they could outvote them. Learning goes usually
with uprightness, broad views, and humanity; so the learned voters,
possessing the balance of power, became the vigilant and efficient
protectors of the great lower rank of society.

And now a curious thing developed itself--a sort of emulation, whose
object was voting power! Whereas formerly a man was honored only
according to the amount of money he possessed, his grandeur was measured
now by the number of votes he wielded. A man with only one vote was
conspicuously respectful to his neighbor who possessed three. And if he
was a man above the common-place, he was as conspicuously energetic in
his determination to acquire three for himself. This spirit of emulation
invaded al