Weekly Trinity journal., 1873-08-23
A WORD TO VOTERS.

This number of the JOURNAL is the
last one which will reach all parts of the
county prior to the September Election,
and in view Of the importance of the sub
jeot, we desire to say a word in reference
to the duty incumbent on voters to attend
the election, and exercise a choice in the
selection Of the officers who will conduct
the local government of the county for
the ensuing two years. There is no State
ticket in the field, and with the exception
of member of the Assembly who will
/ have a voice in the selection of q United
! States Senator, there is no office Of
strictly political character to be filed
/ Under circumstances Of this character,
there are two things generally observable
"a marked decrease in the vote showing
much Indifference as to results. and dis
position on the part Of those who do vote
to pick and choose for the lesser Offices
those deemed best qualified. We would
not object to this condition Of affairs were
it not for the fact that those citizens who
are most apt to exercise the privilege Of
voting, arc not Of the class most deeply
interested in the selection Of good Off
GERS while those who stay away from
the polls are generally men who should
be most Jealous in the cause Of good To-
cal government. The regular whisky
hummer, who expects to get his fill Of
free whisky at the expense Of some Of the
candidates or their friends in the pre-
cinct, will be sure to be on hand at every
election, never missing one, while if there
are any absentecs, it will be from among
those who have business interests Of their
own which takes their attention, and
causes them to suffer the election Of i'm
portant local officers to go by default
This is all wrong. In the choice of com
petent officers to administer our local
government, men who have property or
business interests in the county are deep
ly interested, yet frequently, through
their indifference, selfish and incompc-
tent men are elected by having work
ing" friends at the polls who manage, by
! the free use Of liquor or other means
equally disreputabIe, to secure enough Of
the " floating vote" to elect their friends.
Where there is Il full and general turn
out Of voters it is not 50 easy for unwor-
thy or incompetent mea to succeed in
being elected, and for this reason we urge
upon the Republican voters, who are apt
to view local election with more indiif-
erence than those Of the opposite political
faith, the importance Of attendance upon
the election this year. In regard to
scratching" tickets, we have only one
thing to say. Most voters have, or think
they have, (Which amounts to about the
same thing some fixed ideas Of politics
which causes them to be classed with one
or the other of the two great parties
While it is desirable, to some extent, to
carry political feeling into local politics,
and vote Il straight ticket when compos-
cd (as is the Republican ticket this year.,
Of uneXceptionable men, it is equally de-
sirable that men should not be so bound
up in party that nomination by the
party having the majority is equivalent
to an election. When such a state Of af- /
fairs is presumed to exist, the local ma
chinery OF party soon falls into the
hands Of selfish, designing politicians,
who seek to use it solely with view to
their own personal aims. 1t then becomes
time for the voters to take the matter in
hand, and learn those who aspire to con-
troll the actions Of the people, that the
people are their masters, not their SER
wants.
The source Of all good government lies
with the people, and if they choose to eX-
ercise their rights and power there will
be no cause for dissatisfaction. The Re-
publican nominees are each and all the
first choice Of the party for the positions
for which they are named. There was no
dictation used to accomplish their nom
nations, in fact each man upon the tick
ct stood ready to give way in favor ofany
other who could be deemed more the
choice Of the party than himself hence
there was no necessity to choke OFF,
some, that others might apparently be
the unanimous CHOICE" For the two
most important places on the ticket the
Convention selected men who were not
a9pirants for political honors, but who
consented to make the canvass when as
sured that it was the unanimous wish Of
the party that they should do so. The
Democratic ticket is made up Of old par
ty hacks who have either been in office,
or candidates for office, from the head
to almost the foot Of the list. 1t will be
strange, indeed, if the Republican ticket,
representing different parts Of the county,
and made up Of men who are acceptable
in every way, cannot defeat the 'cut and
driedp nominations which the Demo-
cratic county convention met tand ratified.
1t will be surely done if full vote is
cast, and this is why we urge upon
the voters Of Trinity county to be sure in
attending the polls, and not permit the
| Democratic ticket to be successful thro'
the apathy Of its opponents.
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