New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-08-31
DRINK Or Scorer.

Saltwater in Minnesota held q municipal
election on the 1st of April, 1873. There is
nothing intensely interesting in this past and
gone fact except that Michael Walsh voted
twice. Now other citizens of the nationality
indicated by Mr.. Walsh's name have voted
not merely twice but twenty times at the
same election, and nothing was said or done
about it. The popularity of this Saltwater
case is, that something was said and done.
The repeating Walsh was indicted. The
statute of Minnesota affirms that to vote more
than once at an election is felony. Hence
the case of The State rs. Walsh. The evil
dence to sustain the indictment showed that
the defendant after voting in Ward |. liked
the sensation so much that he went to Ward
H. and voted there. But the evidence also
showed that when Mr.. Walsh thus INDUCED
himself he was in high state of Bacchus,
considerably cOrned, Enthusiastically swipey and
unusually set up. Hence arose the nice law
question when Michael was found guilty,
whether man who repeats his vote under
the influence of ardent spirits is respOn-
sible creature to be punished for his drunken
deeds EYES," said the State. "No," said
Michael Walsh's lawyer. EYES," said Mr..
Justice Young when he had heard the appeal.
Drunk or sober, Michael did wrong and must
take the consequences. The act was none
the less criminal because committed when the
defendant was intoxicated. All men are pre-
sumed to intend their voluntary acts. There
being no evidence that the defendants act
was not voluntary, it was the duty of the
Jury to find the intent in accordance with the
legal presumption. The judgment and orders
appealed from are affirmed.
We must say that there is a great deal of
common sense in this decision. Ii the round
ers are to successfully plead rumminess
there will literally as well as economically be
no end of rounding" Most of the cOnve-
nient patriots who surround tue polls, and who
are quite ready to sell not only the vote
which is legally theirs, but good many other
votes which are not theirs nor anybody else's-
all these hucksters of the hastings are usually
a little jolly. A courageous voter of this sort
is almost always sustained by the stimulants
which he has absorbed, and comes to his work
with conscience saturated into insensibility
1t will hardly do to allow him to fiddle him
self, or allow others to fuddle him, into state
of responsibility. An elector may be very
drunk, and yet vote with great persistence
and alacrity. Indeed the drunken he is the
more facile tool does he become of his captors.
We suppose that it would be of little use to
long for a political Utopia. We must take
constituencies as we find them, drunk or sober,
honest or dishonest, intelligent or stupid,
peaceful or belligerent. But when we do get
into our Paradise of Politics, in that good
time which, alas, is always coming and never
comes, it will not be only the drunken man
who votes twice who will be fined and i'm
prsoned, but the inebriate who insults the
majesty of the Republic by voting even once
n state of alcoholic exaltation. The best of
voters will sometimes make mistakes and vote
foolishly, but he who voluntarily units him
self for the exercise of the freeman's greatest
privilege. tor the performance of his most
sacred public duty, commits kind of treason
which may not be Of the high old Sort but
which certainly is not petty; crime of which
the headache next morning is quite made
Quate retributiOn.