The Express.
London, England, 1859-09-03 00:00:00

TO TEN IDITOIL 01 TM LIPSTSI.

Sue,—Quite unexpectedly, and from an nomnpoeted
gutter, the enemies of the ballot bare bad thew cases
suangthened—so, at knot, they imagine. A Mr. Dana has
written a long letter front Massachusetts, to the effect that
ballot voting in that state is open to much the same objections
as registration voting is is England; that in fort ballot
voting falls short of the wishes end expectations of its friends,
and from necessity must be conducted in a way which gives
the rich end inihnutiol the privilege to bribe or influence the
dependent and the poor. In a word, it is alleged, the ballot-
box and ballots notwithotanding, that no popular means ran
be devised whereby rocs can vote according to their con-
science, and be inocceseible to intimidation or bribery from
others.

Unfortunately for Mr. Dara'sexperience in Massachust tte
and for Mr. Dana's Mends in Englmd, there see other states
to the American union where billet voting works admirably
and eatisfeemeily, and where what is said to be unattainable
in Moseathuesse le an accomplished feet. Take the state of
Illinois, end what is true at that state te true of the states
contiguous to it, Namely, Missouri, Wistonsin, lows, and
Mionesota, and perhaps every other state within the Union.
In Illinois the voter la protected. Every man in that state,
entitled to vote, may vote amending to his conscience, end
without the miserable expedient of an envelope, which Mr.
Dana says was tried in Maseariumetts and has tailed. The
means are simple. The men voting to momentarily separated
from the men waiting to vote or merely looking on, and while
so separated, the voter may vote for who or what he pleases,
or he may not vote at all, although he has paseed through
the polling place. Is it passible to buy moth • man; or
where is the mate who would Al a penny on the chance of
a so circumsteneed voting apbtt himself ? But it will
he OM to horribly see"
_mod Mania not wit
Begliehmen, who nines be above-board always. It due look
trite as bad as ?deem:burette, envelopes, but it realty to not
Ito, and ooetradlodon mey be safely challenged to the feet
that the Ithacla eyelets is more open, MUM above-board,
than one own reppetestion system U. The political and party
creed of every man in Illinois is known ; what secrecy, thee,
can possibly attach te the ea of putting votes into the ballot-
box? Is it known in England which side a man will take,
unless he really takes a aide, end does vet., and how few
in England vote who have the right to do so? While in
Illinois the merest hodwan stands cheerfully for hour, is
mister storm and summer beet to take his torn to drop his
ballot, and workshop and barber's chair are for ever remnant
with the tongue of party ? What need of its being otherwise?
The Illinois ballot-box know. no landlord and nu muter, and
Illinois landlords and masters bend in meek @oho:deafen to
their fate, end party the cannot therefore be either bar or
Prejudice to any one. Why is it otherwise m Massachusetts e
Wby is the ballot-box in Nassechusetts not as inviolate
se the ballet-box In Illinois ? There is no hesitation
and no mystery in the answer. Masseelluseue Ia
more =Waive and intolerant than even England
is. It is a punishable offence to smoke tobacco
in the streets of 80311; • mallet of grave impost to drop
an orange skin. The Massachusetts mobiles book provides
agebut adultery and forolostion bye year or two of penal
servitude. Is It incompatible with such laws that the wise
should cheek and direct the unwise, that the rich should
centrol the dependent and the poor Is it incompatible with
suede lava that the Masuctueetts ballot-box *tmid be placed
in an open hall, that the workman should pat in his ballot in
the presence of his master, and the tenant put in his ballot in
the pretence of his landlord ? The Wee of any other taus
is aboard ; end sub, in reality, is the ballot-voting quern
of Msaescheimetta. There the franchise, as in England. I. the
cures of many ; and thus the prospect of a better eystem is
much more retools then the prospect Is with us.
Masuchusette is really toe odd state of the American
Unite, and, therefore, unfit to represent American Melba-
, liens In any wry. Turning to the election returns of that
State and others at the last Presidential canvass,_ Meeseactin-
' tette etude quite alone in the specialty of its returns. The
republican vote of Meseschmette was as three to one agalut
the democratic vote, while the republican vote of New York
State wee only a fraction over, and that of Poonsyleaois
Banal largely on the democratic aide. In fact, while in
other States political partite are split Into large and often
into equal sections, there is but one great to
weringpwiy in the Slate of Massachuutte. In the
legislature of Massachusetts there are thirty.t wo re-
publicans and three democrats ; while In the New York
egislature there are sixty-one republicans and fifty-eight
demxrate, and in the legislature of Penneylvanla thirty
republicans and sixty-eight democrats. Thus one great
put, lords It over Mausehusetta. and it hat done so from
immemorial time • and the great means of doing so to unpro-
tected ballot voting. The people of blasteachusette are of the
SAM stock es are the people of the other States, end nave the
yams feelings; but, unlike the people of the other States, the
' yoke of the Pilgrim Fathers hsa deo:ended on them, and
nothing short of a revolutionary mouseese—te protected
ballot-box—will ever break it down. The material interests
of Massachusetts are in tact quite entagonistio to the doctrines
of the party which ham ever bun In power; and so long u
that is the case the experience of Mr. Dana and hie friends
may ma well be kept at home.
The system of ballot voting comes seathlese, therefore, out
of its present seeming trouble. It fe an inevitable and easy
sacrifice that the rich must make to the poor and the aping
to the weak. Nor would England with the ballot be lees
contented and prosperous than England at the present time.
Where up= the American continent ham the compatibility of
civil freedom, with prosperity and contentment, been wore
clearly deminetrated then in the western Slabs, where wen
outside the edministution of the law lab or sedulously, not
only to mate a stock of useful producte, but to preserve the
stock to thou to whom it properly belong. and to their heirs
for ever? PAT BARRI",
Ex Member of the New York and
Chicago Prue.