"Broadly speaking, all persons of sound mind are entitled to vote on the
men and the laws which are to govern them. Aside from this, every ounce
of brain or experience you can add to the ballot, makes it more certain.
Suppose you say that half the people are too ignorant to vote sensibly.
Don't you see that there is an even chance, at least, that they'll vote
rightly, and if the wrong half carries the election, it is because more
intelligent people have voted wrongly, have not voted, or have not taken
the trouble to try and show the people the right way, but have left them
to the mercies of the demagogue. If we grant that every man who takes
care of himself has some brain, and some experience, his vote is of some
value, even if not a high one. Suppose we have an eagle, and a thousand
pennies. Are we any better off by tossing away the coppers, because each
is worth so little. That is why I have always advocated giving the
franchise to women. If we can add ten million voters to an election, we
have added just so much knowledge to it, and made it just so much the
harder to mislead or buy enough votes to change results."

"You evidently believe," said Watts, "in the saying, 'Everybody knows
more than anybody?'"

Peter had forgotten all about his company in his interest over--over the
franchise. So he started slightly at this question, and looked up
from--from his subject.

"Yes," said Le Grand. "We've been listening and longing to ask
questions. When we see such a fit of loquacity, we want to seize the
opportunity."

"No," said Leonore, "I haven't finished. Tell me. Can't you make the men
do what you want, so as to have them choose only the best men?"

"If I had the actual power I would not," said Peter.

"Why?"

"Because I would not dare to become responsible for so much, and because
a government of the 'best' men is not an American government."

"Why not?"

"That is the aristocratic idea. That the better element, so called,
shall compel the masses to be good, whether they wish it or no. Just as
one makes a child behave without regard to its own desires. With grown
men, such a system only results in widening the distance between the
classes and masses, making the latter more dependent and unthinking.
Whereas, if we make every man vote he must think a little for himself,
because different people advise him contrarily, and thus we bring him
nearer to the more educated. He even educates himself by his own
mistakes