Thatwhichisnowcalledaristocracyimpliesaninequalityofrights；
butwhoarethepersonsthathavearighttoestablishthisinequality？
Willtherichexcludethemselves？No。Willthepoorexcludethemselves？
No。Bywhatrightthencananybeexcluded？Itwouldbeaquestion，ifanymanorclassofmenhavearighttoexcludethemselves；but，bethisasitmay，theycannothavetherighttoexcludeanother。Thepoorwillnotdelegatesucharighttotherich，northerichtothepoor，andtoassumeitisnotonlytoassumearbitrarypower，buttoassumearighttocommitrobbery。
Personalrights，ofwhichtherightofvotingforrepresentativesisone，areaspeciesofpropertyofthemostsacredkind:andhethatwouldemployhispecuniaryproperty，orpresumeupontheinfluenceitgiveshim，todispossessorrobanotherofhispropertyorrights，usesthatpecuniarypropertyashewouldusefire-arms，andmeritstohaveittakenfromhim。
Inequalityofrightsiscreatedbyacombinationinonepartofthecommunitytoexcludeanotherpartfromitsrights。Wheneveritbemadeanarticleofaconstitution，oralaw，thattherightofvoting，orofelectingandbeingelected，shallappertainexclusivelytopersonspossessingacertainquantityofproperty，beitlittleormuch，itisacombinationofthepersonspossessingthatquantitytoexcludethosewhodonotpossessthesamequantity。Itisinvestingthemselveswithpowersasaself-createdpartofsociety，totheexclusionoftherest。
Itisalwaystobetakenforgranted，thatthosewhoopposeanequalityofrightsnevermeantheexclusionshouldtakeplaceonthemselves；andinthisviewofthecase，pardoningthevanityofthething，aristocracyisasubjectoflaughter。Thisself-soothingvanityisencouragedbyanotherideanotlessselfish，whichisthattheopposersconceivetheyareplayingasafegame，inwhichthereisachancetogainandnonetolose；thatatanyratethedoctrineofequalityincludesthem，andthatiftheycannotgetmorerightsthanthosewhomtheyopposeandwouldexcludetheyshallnothaveless。
Thisopinionhasalreadybeenfataltothousands，who，notcontentedwithequalrights，havesoughtmoretilltheylostall，andexperiencedinthemselvesthedegradinginequalitytheyendeavoredtofixuponothers。
Inanyviewofthecaseitisdangerousandimpolitic，sometimesridiculous，andalwaysunjusttomakepropertythecriterionoftherightofvoting。
Ifthesumorvalueofthepropertyuponwhichtherightistotakeplacebeconsiderableitwillexcludeamajorityofthepeopleandunitetheminacommoninterestagainstthegovernmentandagainstthosewhosupportit；andasthepowerisalwayswiththemajority，theycanoverturnsuchagovernmentanditssupporterswhenevertheyplease。
If，inordertoavoidthisdanger，asmallquantityofpropertybefixed，asthecriterionoftheright，itexhibitslibertyindisgrace，byputtingitincompetitionwithaccidentandinsignificance。Whenabrood-mareshallfortunatelyproduceafoaloramulethat，bybeingworththesuminquestion，shallconveytoitsownertherightofvoting，orbyitsdeathtakeitfromhim，inwhomdoestheoriginofsucharightexist？Isitintheman，orinthemule？Whenweconsiderhowmanywayspropertymaybeacquiredwithoutmerit，andlostwithoutcrime，weoughttospurntheideaofmakingitacriterionofrights。
Buttheoffensivepartofthecaseisthatthisexclusionfromtherightofvotingimpliesastigmaonthemoralcharacterofthepersonsexcluded；
andthisiswhatnopartofthecommunityhasarighttopronounceuponanotherpart。Noexternalcircumstancecanjustifyit:wealthisnoproofofmoralcharacter；norpovertyofthewantofit。
Onthecontrary，wealthisoftenthepresumptiveevidenceofdishonesty；
andpovertythenegativeevidenceofinnocence。Ifthereforeproperty，whetherlittleormuch，bemadeacriterion，themeansbywhichthatpropertyhasbeenacquiredoughttobemadeacriterionalso。
Theonlygrounduponwhichexclusionfromtherightofvotingisconsistentwithjusticewouldbetoinflictitasapunishmentforacertaintimeuponthosewhoshouldproposetotakeawaythatrightfromothers。Therightofvotingforrepresentativesistheprimaryrightbywhichotherrightsareprotected。
Totakeawaythisrightistoreduceamantoslavery，forslaveryconsistsinbeingsubjecttothewillofanother，andhethathasnotavoteintheelectionofrepresentativesisinthiscase。Theproposalthereforetodisfranchiseanyclassofmenisascriminalastheproposaltotakeawayproperty。
Whenwespeakofrightweoughtalwaystounitewithittheideaofduties:rightsbecomedutiesbyreciprocity。TherightwhichIenjoybecomesmydutytoguaranteeittoanother，andhetome；andthosewhoviolatethedutyjustlyincuraforfeitureoftheright。
Inapoliticalviewofthecase，thestrengthandpermanentsecurityofgovernmentisinproportiontothenumberofpeopleinterestedinsupportingit。Thetruepolicythereforeistointerestthewholebyanequalityofrights，forthedangerarisesfromexclusions。Itispossibletoexcludemenfromtherightofvoting，butitisimpossibletoexcludethemfromtherightofrebellingagainstthatexclusion；andwhenallotherrightsaretakenawaytherightofrebellionismadeperfect。
Whilemencouldbepersuadedtheyhadnorights，orthatrightsappertainedonlytoacertainclassofmen，orthatgovernmentwasathingexistinginrightofitself，itwasnotdifficulttogovernthemauthoritatively。
Theignoranceinwhichtheywereheld，andthesuperstitioninwhichtheywereinstructed，furnishedthemeansofdoingit。
Butwhentheignoranceisgone，andthesuperstitionwithit；whentheyperceivetheimpositionthathasbeenacteduponthem；whentheyreflectthatthecultivatorandthemanufactureraretheprimarymeansofallthewealththatexistsintheworld，beyondwhatnaturespontaneouslyproduces；
whentheybegintofeeltheirconsequencebytheirusefulness，andtheirrightasmembersofsociety，itisthennolongerpossibletogovernthemasbefore。Thefraudoncedetectedcannotbere-acted。Toattemptitistoprovokederision，orinvitedestruction。
Thatpropertywilleverbeunequaliscertain。Industry，superiorityoftalents，dexterityofmanagement，extremefrugality，fortunateopportunities，ortheopposite，orthemeansofthosethings，willeverproducethateffect，withouthavingrecoursetotheharsh，ill-soundingnamesofavariceandoppression；andbesidesthistherearesomemenwho，thoughtheydonotdespisewealth，willnotstooptothedrudgeryorthemeansofacquiringit，norwillbetroubledwithitbeyondtheirwantsortheirindependence；
whileinothersthereisanaviditytoobtainitbyeverymeansnotpunishable；
itmakesthesolebusinessoftheirlives，andtheyfollowitasareligion。
Allthatisrequiredwithrespecttopropertyistoobtainithonestly，andnotemployitcriminally；butitisalwayscriminallyemployedwhenitismadeacriterionforexclusiverights。
Ininstitutionsthatarepurelypecuniary，suchasthatofabankoracommercialcompany，therightsofthememberscomposingthatcompanyarewhollycreatedbythepropertytheyinvesttherein；andnootherrightsarerepresentedinthegovernmentofthatcompanythanwhatariseoutofthatproperty；neitherhasthatgovernmentcognizanceofanythingbutproperty。
