Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1858-07-03
FREQUENCY OF ELECTIONS.

long years ago, to boast q THE ptlfitfo1 the
Inallot-bfbx They were patriotism those days,
when the best and most capable men were
selected Ar ill positionsot honor and trust.
Then. it il true. the palladium of olar Iiber-
/ ties, as Il Is called, contained Il true expires
| sion Of Efe peoples will, and each and every
man ends Ga vored to maintain il as such. Pat
! riot;sm consisted then in serving the best
| interests Of the country, but Il few years have
served 10 work complete revolattoninthat,
at presd nt very mythical idea. Patriotism,
from a beautiful and sublime passion hasie-
scendeI ftorn its exalted p~osttioa and eltEcon"
caa itse1 { ina the politicians pocket. and he
who ID f5ftulate- euough to secure q large
! share O %T4ai''ic FIudder, is supposed by very
v~erlanA People 10 have eI, joyed The unlimited
contideh re Of bis Ietiow~citixens iol lis e!c-
walton to Office. Such would be It very
natural! conclusion, if It few people behind
the cur ain did moi know Il great deal better.
Conved% siots. too, are supposed 10 ~rctjeeta
| certain amount Of public. will, but thai is
another taliacy equally as ridiculous as the
! myth, Patriotism, The bailot-box has he
come ralldova's box filed with many
evils, VI ithoat even Hopes oeing left behind,
yet 4th Of July orators. and candidates ior
office G%oint- to- it with prite,;' as being the
keystone o t. onr liberties. -" Lard, ]orA,"
"how This ids5Ill Is given TO Iying!,' said
port,y did Jasfs@ ff~TaistalI hat II the Knight
lad LIVED in our day, what would he have
thought II the WiekedHess CT the world
The, american people are last falling from
the hi $h-estate OF their ancestors, and IN
stead bf being such pure ard high-nainded
patrioti as they We're, are beginning to wal
loW in the d}stiest pools Of political cogr.p-
tioi'. W Fdirh some in4epioss E1eu call patriot
ism IN the absence Of the pure article. An
intense; nla mia seems to have. seized. at least
t#o-tliiras Of the people 'of this great Re-
public, to become Office holders. in almost
any position. Nothing seems 70 bold out
su@d s1tterinE temptations as olfce-ncitter I
mercantile, mechanical Or agricultural pur-
suits possess the sarr1e attractive Powers as
the load stone of office, IN fact, Office has be-
come a baal at whose feet Thousands daily
bow in fetssnt and patriotic alteration, When
will this insane passion cease When vitI
the ba;tot-box again beeorne pure When
will men taFn theirtt1onehts and actions into |
other channels for their own and tho public
good When will the good old order Of
things be restored? Just 50 socn as the
masses become convinced that an extension
Ct nd te'7As u e.5T&s are necessary for The
general welfare.
=. Hardly has the ~o1lstle and confusion Of one
election s;'bsided, before another equally as
exciting. is On the carpet. Hardly has an
officer iu5e to acquire a@thoroagh knowledge
OF his duties, before he j. ollsted to give place
to some one else Thus is the public mind
Kept Ena continued state Of excitement. and
which has been productive Of 50 many evils.
The atequencF Of elections have become a
curse, which all VIII adu,it-exccgt the noli-
tte1a' and his partisa ss-and the sooner we
are rid OF them the better for ti3e whole coE,u
try. Folitlcs have become a regular science.
AMI q thorough course Of training is uecesaa-
~ nowadays to enable a puniI. to puI! the
wires with anything like success. The ,,et,-
phyte IS subjected to severe oFdeals: but he
then. guided and cheercd on r.,
the goal ofhts ambition By the fgaiis {fekus.s Of
office. when they graduate from these schools
they are ready to engage in tie first coolest
before the people. on one sitle. orgthe
.otl1er, but generally On the side promising
the greatest chances Of success.
One system Of controlling elections mi
arge cities and pEacticed by men who are .
careful to conceal their participation. is the
-hiaggggins system, or Intimidation at the ro}is, |
zaitss 81 rowdies and vasabct4's are employ
ID fog this purpose, and are handsomely maid
or their services. These men i've lrosn s|ac- (
ion +, electioE--tt1e Interval being 80 s!sort-
'poit money furnished by candidates CT those
III office. Should by any n%a;s2an.
hese EascaIs be arrested for violent acts. they 9
nc sure to have al abundance OF friends to {
'~etthefo clear Of justice, or, If fined, their
friends promptly pay up ard they =
re free to commit fresh derredatiods. Just
@ long as they are hired and paid for such !
iFty work, just 50 long viii scenes of .vto-
snce ocenr at the polls. No good citizen "
eess at all disposed to risk his life by exer- :,
isirg d tight 1t the palladium Of our ljber- y
and IS the coramoaezt kind Of common :,
e'sse teaches him to stay away, he does 50. :
he consequence is rpfffanisrn controls the =
E~eettons, and those aspirants for office having l.
1ost money, can always be elected in large
tiles. Who then can say the ballot box is J.
II expo0aHtaof jhe public will, when black !