Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-04-19

form. IL exists In the person and
viii crop ont IN the Organization, and
so long as il does exist we will have
IL to contend with In politics That
system which win purge tho body
polite from this growing vice Is tho
best one, and we should saori6ce much
10 obtain IL; bat we must take society
as we find It, and In contending with
human depravity, II is plain that we
cannot decrease the vice, or got rid OF
It's effects, by increasing tho tempta-
tons 70 its perpetration. Can there
be any question that such temptations
are increased, if man now corrupt
be given six times the strength he
has under the majority ruler He
could cammand higher price, because
bis power was increased, and be
would be more sought for, for the
same reason Would not the circle of
corrupt Influences be widened by the
ability Of the purchaser to pay lar
ger price, and the natural cnpidity Of
men be excited TO action by such
offers, who now reject them because
/ 100 lrlnlng IN amount
But it is argued % that the corrup-
tion Of voters will not change the re-
suit of an election that il will elect
no candidate and defeat no candidate
in contested districts" and that, there
fore, il will cease TO exist. Is this
correct z Take six constituency
district for Congress, with two hun-
dred aud ten thousand electors, d.
yided upon party issues in the proper
tion Of one hundred and ten thousand
to one hundred thousand If party
lines be maintained, and no local can
didale, or candidate for specific idea
be put in tho field under the new rule,
the majority would elect three, the
minority three. a change Of FIVE
thousand and one reverses the result,
if electors cast but a single ballot, or
each vote two votes In such con
dition of things would the minority
content themselves with representa-
ton and make no struggle? All our
experience proves the incorrectness of
such a position. Suppose the elector
be vested with the power Of plump
ing" six votes, and corrupt influences
seek the election of one man to whom
the minority have no claim by right,
party lines being strictly drawn and
all voting two votes each for the can
didates regularly nominated, how
many votes are necessary TO change
the result aud accomplish the pur-
poses of the corrupt faotiony In.
stead Of five thousand and one being
required, eight hundred and thirty
four plumpers are all that are needed.
Put the contested field in u different
position; obliterate party lines, upon
general issues, and give to each clique
or faction the opportunity to elect its
man by the use Of money, and great
ly fear that our past experience upon
the subject of corrupt influences has
been purity itself as contrasted with
the disgraceful scenes VIC would wit.
ness.
The application of this theory to
our Institutions, and our elective sys-
TEN as now constituted, seems TO me
to be premature aud complicated. A
vast mass of voters have lately been
added to the electoral force, large
proportion of whom do not under
stand the simplest application Of the
majority rule; very large number
of our people are untitled by educa-
ton 10 understand the workings ola
new system, complicated as this must
necessarily be, who, nevertheless, are
thoroughly competent to understand
the clearly defined issues of general
canvass, when embodied in opposing
candidates under the majority rule
The new system does not come TO us
endorsed aud recommended by practi-
cal experience and thorough tests Of
its value, 1T is leap in the dark,
and its results are nappreciable.-
Possibly for some good, probably for
much evil. While | admit and recog-
nize the justice Of the theory of actual
personal representation for all, am
compelled to believe that our institu.
tions and our surroundings are not
now fitted to its application in the
higher fields thereof; that the rule of
a majority is the fundamental law of
every society of individuals of equal
rights; that under its workings we
have prospered and made progress
that il is necessary for the decisive
results indispensable in government
of the people; that the new rule will
oblitorate parties, destroy n watchful
opposition aud substitute therefor fac.
tions, cliques aud sectarian Interests
that it would uproot the doctrine Of
the equality of individuals in all their
attributes, now an essential theory of
the government, and give us in its
room theory Of an Intellectual aris.
tocracy; that it would in this weaken
the checks and balances Of our system,
and organize within the society u will
independent OF the mass Of the people;
that the new rule is based upon no
abstract or conventional right of the
individual, but will coerce men TO re-
irain from the exercise of their mani.
fest privileges as members OF the
State; that instead of banishing cor
ruption it will tend to increase and
extend it; that it will give to politi-
clans in the nominating conventions
the power now possessed by the peo-
pie that it banishcs independent vo-
Ting, and tends TO destroy tho secret
ballot; that il is premature, untried
and possibly dangerous to our institu-
tions; and for these reasons. with my
present convictions, | should be un-
willing to introduce il into the ma
cliinery Of governmental administra-
ton yet in the local field, TO which
this bill confines the principle, and for
the purpose Of testing its value and
the actual benefits to be derived from
il, ! am content to enact il and from
experience learn it's workings.
VINO GETS AHEAD Twenty clerks
in store. Twenty hands in a print
ing Office Twenty young men in
village. AT want to get along in the
world, and all expect to. Que of the