New-York tribune., 1871-07-11


not an equally tyrannOus influence of great
capitalists, manufacturers and new-made rich
men take its place Wealth is not more equally
diffused in England now than it was a genera
ton ago, though much of il is shifting from
one class Of proprietors to another and we
may find that the lower and middle classes
have only been enjoying temporary and
Elusive independence while the balance of
wealth has been adjusting itself to new con-
ditiOns.
The Spectator assumes that open voting is
best adapted to getting thorough political
" truthfulness out of the really Independent
elector,' and to obtaining that open confess
sion of political faith which all men owe to
the public; dnd it adds this curious ilIustra-
ton:
"What did Mr.. Cave, in his able speech, tell OF the
feeling at New-Yorki Why, that men constantly de-
their ayowed principles under the ballot that me
N. y Herald had actually proposed not merely open
voting but that there should be registration by which
no should false cOors deposit his vote
at election unless he belonged to the party TO which
he professed TO belong Secret voting must have pro-
NOTED an Indifference 20 professed principles
before popular paper could venture to propose that
electors should be compelled to vote with the parties
they had openly Olned"
The Spectator is hardly expected to know
just how much importance is attached in New
York to the editorial opinions of the paper it
quotes; but score of suggestions quite as
preposterOus as the above, quite as destitute
OF excuse in facts, and quite az reckless in
disregard of public sentiment, might be culled
from The Herald every month in the year.
The genial graduates of Trinity College. Dub
lin, who manufacture copy for il, scrlbble such
paragraphs with sublime contempt for reason,
grammar, consistency, and common sense; and
as nobody in America minds them they do no
harm, unless they chance to get across the
ocean and find believing readers, as did the
fictitious speech on the Treaty which the same
paper put into the mouth of Senator Sumner.
1t is by no means true that men constantly
desert their ayOwed principles under the
ballot - on the contrary, party fealty Is, II
anything, too strong, and the readiness OF the
average elector to vote strictly in accordance
with his ayOwed principles encourages con-
yentions to nominate candidates who are per-
sonally unworthy, in the confidence that
party discipline will secure their election.
1t is very much to be wished that
the desertion of avOwed principles or to
speak more correctly the scratching of
tickets which contain Objectionable names.
were great deal more common. Lastly, it is
a mistake to suppose that the ballot facilitates
an improper cOncealment of ones political
faith. In America no man thinks OF making
secret of his principles, or protesting the
creed of one party and voting for the candl-
dates of the other. Every voter may vote in
secret if he chooses; but he is quite ready to
tell all about his ballot if you ask him, and the
Englishman who believes Gas the Liberal ap-
ponents of the ballot do) that the elcctOr
ought to face responsibility like a man and
take the consequences of his action, would be
perfectly satisfied with the operation of the
secret vote as we have ii in the United States.
The truth is that in ordinary cases the ballot
is not secret at all: its value lies in the fact
that any individual may make it secret 80 far
as it relates to himself, whenever it suits him
to do so.