Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-01-20
Q be ID ailp spy.
THURSDAY. JANUARY 20. 1883.
81 SEE FIRST PAGE.
The wings and the Ballot Law.


hoping is that the law is "despotic. We must
confess our inability detect the least mite Of
despolism ia the law; and we appehend that we can
discriminate between freedom aud despo,sul almost
il not quite, as well our Fugiive-Slave-law
Wing neghbor We abhor despotism, in all its
forms; and we war with it in any form IN which it
may present ITSELF Ift comes to Massachusetts with
shackles, letters, blood hounds, and permit from
the supreme bureau of slavery al Washington, to
hunt men, we war with it. II it comes sneaking to
the ballot boxes, in the form of wing mill agents,
keeping watch how honest men may vote, in order
to Cypress them, il they give conscientious vote,
we war with il; and If we thought the present bal
lot law favored despotsm, initiated in the least
against true dem ,cratic liberty, would war with
ittoo. But it is oar decided conviction that the
present ballot law instead of being despolic, is free
and liberal in all its tendencies and operation II is
very possible, however, that may differ from the
Egis in our definitions What is despotism to the
Egs, may not be despolism to us, and nice aersa-
Perhaps the Egis considers the whole process Of
voting, despotic process. 1t iuteIeres with the
''divine right of whigs' govern, as they, IN their
grave and eminent wisdom, may see fit to, and con-
seqnently according their lofty sense Of their own
importance, and their contempt for voters in general
may appear to them omrageously despotc. The
Egis considers it despoc in the majority of the
people, to pass law providing that tie voting in
popular elections shall be secret. Does not the
Hgs, upon The same parity of reasoning, consider
it mean in society, tolerate pockets, purses, and
private accounts at banks, Sc? Why do not the
grave wings who hate secret voting so fiercely, car
ry their bank books in their hands, to show the
world how ''emneat" they are? Why do they not
walk about bedzened with eagles dollars. and
cents, to show how profound and weighty members
OF community they are? II their consummate vanity
OF personal independence compels them to denounoe
secret voting, as despoism, why do they not con-
stanlly let the admrng world see the root of their
independence-their wealth! This would surely be
some relief to their osenlatous souls.
Bat. one has only to look at the popular vote for
the last three years. 10 see why the wings really cry
out against the secret ballot law. in 1850, they
in minority of about 5000; in 1852, the ma
Jory against them was upwards of 5000; md in
1852, there was majority Of about $4,000 against
them. This gradual increase Of the majority against
them makes them desperate, and causes them 10
hate and denounce every circumstance that fairly
tends 10 counterfeit their adventurous power
The secret ballot law prevents the rich whigs
who do almost all the money exchanging in The cities,
and who constitute almost all the cotton corporations
in the State, to forego the pleasure Of putting the
screw upon those dependent upon them, for elderly
to toll" or for the loan Of little money now and
then. 1.-THE secret ballot hw was abolished the
wings could then ascertain how The worknen in fac
tories, and others vote; and they could work the
machinery OF oppression, so recruit their broken
lapks, and reduce the majority which stands threat
ening them with humiliation.
One Of the advantages Of the secret ballot law,
and which, of itself, should secure ii from repeal
by honest men, is, the perfect security which it in
srres against double-voting. We should he unwiI-
ling to believe that any party would WISH by its re-
peal, to open again this door to the most prolific
frauds. if we could forget, that even those placed in
the position Of grave legislators, had, for nearly
whole session, defeated the will Of majority, BY
such fraudulent voting, and finally been detected
therein, and exposed, only through the agency Of the
ballot by envelope. If necessary to guard against
fraud 10 such place, how much more so must il be
at the public ballot box, where ALL as well the most
profligate as the most honest men in the community,
are permitted to come and their votes together
Considering the benefits of the law, aud the utihy
ofany argument that has ever been brought against
it, we believe that it's repeal be effected only for
dishonest purposes.
The wings have made move in the House
towards abollshing this just, beneGcent, and neces
sary ballot law. They have gained nothing by their
late adversely, but blind spitefuness, which is hur.
rying them into the commission Of acts which they
can only expiate by their own total humiliation.