Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-06-10
chr o oilp spy.
FRIDAY. JUNE 10. lsss.
INC Rallot.

The Ballot.
The discussion on the ballot, in the Constitution
al Convention has been shutting and evasve on the
part of the Wings, while, the part OF the reform
ers. II has been conducted with marked ability and
eloquence. The Wings have opposed the incorpo-
ration Of the secret ballot, the fundamental laws.
of this Commonwealth, for the reason ad iuc' by
Montesquieu, and lately repeated in Boston Wing
journal, namely: tina, the surages of the opr order
should be restrained by the gravity Of eminsnt pa
sonages. The reformeess have urged its establish
msnt in the Constitution, because ii is the duty Of
the State 10 proteel every citizen in the exercise Of
his sacred rights. The a, guments o! the progress.
sives in favor Of the secret ballot, naanswera-
BILE. They showed the sympathy existing between
the oppouents Of free suffrage, iom the earliest days
down to the rtesent time. They showed that the
spirit and policy Of the Roman paricans, which
have been. fostered and sustained for ages by the
British aFisocratc party, have beeu>adopted the
auimating principle aud policy Of the bunker Wings.
They assume as the British tories do. authority to
supervise the peoples ballot boxeson election days.
and they claim the right to dictate to them, under
the pains aud penalties Of loss Of employment, how
they shall vote, and it is for this reason they
strenuously combat proposition that viii deprive
them of the power of ascertaning how working
men exercise their political franchise.
Since the commencement of the parliamentary re.
form movement in Great Britain, nearly half cen
fury ago, by ballot, that is seeret voting, has
been considered as necessary accompaniment to
universal suffrage Universal suffrage, VOTE BY
BALLOT, and lriennal parliaments we've the princi-
pies for which the ssFriends Of the People" in Great
Britain, commended, and do still contend. II was
for those principles that the Duke of Richmond,
Pitt, Sheriden, Stanhope, Grey, and other eminent
British re(ormers arrayed themselves against the
iorysm Of the Court, the bench, and the parliament
il was for the advocacy Of hose principles that
Horn Touke, Hardy, Thelwell, Muir Palmer, Ger.
raid, Margaret, and Skirving, were prosecuted and
prosecuted with all ;lhe malevolenI vengeance Of
British hunkerism.
Vote BY ballot has always been hateful idea TO
aristocrais and tories. Il is one Of the last mea-
sures which The British aristocracy viii yield TO the
democratic forces of that country. The leasing Of
land in England is generally conducted on what is
called The s'tenant at will syslem.'' The landlord
has the power eject has tenant from his farm up
on the very shortest notice. With a tenant at viii
constituency, restricted in the counties 10 those who
pay $3.50 year Of rent and with the piua mode
o. voting, the landlord becomes lord paramount
the worldly interests and over The votes Of his ten
ants, and he drives them to The polls like sheep to
the shambles The consequence Of this open ballot
and tenant at will system has been that in England,
even since the passage Of The Reform Bill, there has
always been majority Of Tory representatives re-
turned 10 parliament, while in Scotland where ten
ant system Of 10 years leases PREVAILS aud where the
farmers more independent, the liberals have al
ways returned lwo-lhirds ~. The whole representa-
tisesfor that country WihAhes secret ballot, the
British arstocracy couldsiot coerce their tenants
any longer, they therefore resist with the despefa
ton Of pirates The open ballot system is not de-
fended and cannot be defended, for any other rea-
son than that s.grave and eminent personages' are
anxious TO restrain within Wing bounds the suffra-
ges Of the LOWER ORDERS" We rejoice to think
that henceforh in Massachusetts the gravity of EN-.
inent personages will be exercised to find
honorable and profitable business than tha, 81 a5iRe
e Out immensely more intelligent and manly fellow
citizens.