The original rules for voting (federal) were based on property ownership, which the founders believed would limit the franchise to those who had a direct stake in the conduct of the government and eliminate the bread and circuses mentality which doomed (in part) Rome. The discussions of race and sex are well documented, so there's no real need for me to delve into those minefields. A democracy would be a disaster for the US, as a true democracy would require a general plebescite on every issue currently dealt with by congress. I agree with the founders on the principal that the franchise should be earned. The race and sex issues were simply an extension of the time in which the constitution was written and have been dealt with properly, as intended by the founders, in the form of constitutional amendments. Were the founders perfect saints? Not by a long shot. However, they were great men who left us with an excellent foundation for government. BTW, were they all rich landowners of english ancestry? No, they weren't. A good portion of them were broke from their efforts on behalf of the nascent United States.