POLITICAL DISFRANCHISEMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8404, 4 November 1890, Page 3

POLITICAL DISFRANCHISEMENT.

TO Tins EDITOR. Sir,—-If the Government take upon themselves the monopoly of education, railways, etc., does it follow that those who are debarred from otherwise obtaining a livelihood at their own profession should be politically disfranchised ? for that is what your observations tend to. Is the educated teacher of less value to the community than the idle loafer on the wharves, who happens to have been here six months, or the inmates of our charitable homes ? Do not our teachers and railway employes pay their share of the taxes and burthens of the country? Are they less intelligent, or of less use to the settlers, that they should be debarred from a political existence. Some of our best men came from our schools. If we want to reduce the army of oivil servants, let us do so by reducing our establishments, but not punish those we employ by making nonentities of them. It is little minded to take notice of the utterances of an individual here and there, and seek to punish a valued class of the community because they dare to express their opinion publicly. Is this our boasted franchise ? What a parody !— am, &c., Liberty.