Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-09-14
PROTECTION FOR THE BALLOT

should be executed with fidelity and vigor.
This is proposition that every citizen
admits without question, and yet it is
hardly too much to say that trihing with
and corruption of the ballot-box is the
rule, and its rigorous protection in its in
tended purity the exception. This Terri
tory is without the protection Of any such
law, and, as consequence, the so-called
right of suffrage is simply broad farce.
We have no positive evidence that the re-
suit of the election of week ago, was
brought about by the preparation Of
wholesale fraud upon majority Of the
6ona-tsde citizens of the Territory. Yet,
in common with a thousand or two of our
fellow-citizens, We have q belief in the
matter that is not clouded by the shadow
of doubt. Its doubtful whether, in the
absence of proper law regulating cleo
tons, similar outrage can be peaceably
prevented at the next general election.
Citizens might possibly by thorough
organization, vigilant watching, and rough
punishment, put stop to double voting,
and ballot-box stufing, but that kind of
safety is not such as quiet, decent and
honest citizens desire. although they may
be compelled to resort to it. What we
want is proper law, and a prompt execu-
ton of that law. We have not got it
now, but we may provide ourselves with
one through the first Legislature of the
State. The transient, floating character
of the population and the proportionally
small number of citizens having fixed
and abiding interest in the permanent vel
fare of the country, has rendered elections
here thus far, and will for some time to
come, peculiarly liable to be easily con-
trolled, and voters extremely careless as to
results. An idle, penniless population
has had a temporary residence among us,
who feeling neither the personal interest,
nor the responsibilities of permanent resi-
dents, have been, in fact, mere objects of
sale to the highest bidder. This IS per-
haps saying good deal about the " free
and enlightened" but any one who con-
tradiets il, either knows very little about
it, or wilfully conceals from himself an I'M
pleasant fact. 1t is notorious fact which
the books of the Stage companies and
freight lines will show, that last election
day was succeeded by perfect stampede
from the county, showing fully that there
had been a very considerable proposed
emigration held back to influence that
election. How many of that emigrating
crowd will ever return to the country to
which they dictated the next county ad-
ministration We will not put the use
less question of how many of them voted
half dozen times, or how many of them
were never entitled to vote at all. Cry
ing for split milk is a proverbially use
less lament, but we can take better care Of
the fluid in the future. We have hereto
fore alluded to the necessity of an efficient
Registry Law. When the legislature
convenes, we shall press our views upon
that point upon that body. In addition
to a law requiring the registration OF vo-
tiers, we shall urge the necessity of Sc
we're penal code to punish every infrac-
ton of the proper and just rules regulat-
ing the elective franchise. Among all
the drawbacks upon the democratic or
rather republican form of government,
there is none that goes so directly to de-
feat the whole object and theory of that
form of government, as the Infamous
traffic which is carried on in the votes of
certain class of the population. This
traffic can, through proper and careful
ly prepared statute, be in great measure
brought to an end. This system of bri-
berry has become so common and so
much, a thing of course, that it has be-
come the rule, and the expenditure OF
vast sums to secure any Office of any i'm
portanee or profit is regarded as so neces-
sary, that men not possessed of ample
means or without monied hackers" must
not dream of entering the lists. The re-
suit of this outlay is not only the election
of men who do not shrink from bribery,
but the public in the end are forced to
reimburse the successful candidate for his
venturous outlay. Officers thus elected
by bribery and corruption, look upon
their offices as merchandise bought, and,
like any other merchandise bought and
paid for, the proper subject of traffic and
gain. Acting upon that principle, they
remorselessly despOil the public. That such
a condition of things should terminate, is
a proposition that all good citizens will
admit that it can be brought to an end
by legislation we firmly believe. Let
every species of bribery at elections be
made crime, which shall attach to all
who are in anywise connected with the
Let the briber and the bribed
stand upon one footing in the eye of the
law, and let the punishment follow newt
ably every infraction of the law. Let it
be declared a crime-heavily and dis
gracefully punishable - to give, offer,
promise or receive, any sort or species Of
consideration, whereby a vote may be IN
any manner controlled. Let the law be
50 carefully framed that there may be no
misinterpretation of it. and no possible
evasion Of its penalties. Such law
would remove one evil element from our
elections, and justice to the country de-
mands that such law should be among
the first enacted by our next Legislature.
There are host Of other abuses that sur
A. l..llak H. q. e