, 1875-09-17
THE CORRUPT BALL0T-Dox.

THE CORRUPT BALL0T-DoX.
Judge uooL1rrLE, in his address to tho
Farmers Association at Rockford, mado
timely reference to the erils Of fraudulent
elections in largo cities, mud, in connection
Herewith, proposed several remedies nrplica-
lilo 10 the ,node Of conducting tho elections.
In tho first place, ho woull llnvc election pre-.
cincta in cities 70 divided TINT there would
not bo over 750 voters residing thore'n; that
tho election be held in m open hall tl,at tho
bnllot-box and tho election judges be upon q
raised platform in sight Of all; that election
days bo made public holiday, thus admit
ting everybody to tho means Of voting. 11c
further proposes that in al1 large cities the
namca md p)nces OF residence OF each voter
shall be written on tho ballots; that in
case Of challenge the voter shall bo
identified md his place Of residence
proved by two known electors. These
provisions, however excellent in theory,
and, if enforced, cou1mentlable M rrcvcntivcs
OF frantl both in voting md counting, are not
practicable in the present condition of public
opinion. Taking tho City Of Chicago III m
3lllSIfHll1tl} ~ EAltiO kHhk
orloafers, ordisreputable voters, do not exceed
onc-fourtll Of tho whole number Of electors
Yet they control the elections. During near
~ ten years there hns been but tone--certain1y
not over two-occasions where ns many rs
two-thirds Of tic legal voters have gone to
tho polls, and in this estimate The whole NUM-
Der Of votes rollcd is assumed to have been
legal. Whit is truo in Chicago il equally truo
in other large cities, There ia one class Of per.
sons who always vote, and this class includes
those who vote for hire and those who con-
tract to yoto rs often rs possible. A much
targcr class, and one really interested in the
result of elections, espucially Of local Govern
mcnts, never goes to tho polls, and mover
votes. These persons go to their banks, their
warehouses, their Offices, their factories, their
workshops, and their stores, carly on election
day, md stay thcro until night, utterly indif-
fcrcnt ns to the election going on. They aro
SO indifferent TINT they in like manner keep
all their workmen and subortlinates engaged
as usua1. During the remaining 3Gs dnyH
of tho year these gentlemen dovoto thcu-
solves to tho dennnciation Of popular cleo
tions and lnmonting tho OWLS Of local Govern
ments chosen by the mob!
Hero is ono of The great oyils Of our Cleo
ton system, and Atr DooLz1rIE's PROPOSE
ton to make election lay public holiday is
| n wiso one, to tho extent tint it may compel
these people to forego their private business,
| in Which caso they may 60 to the polls and
do something 10 rescue elections from the
| professionals who now control them. So
long as at least ons-half the ropulation-con-
sisting Of those engaged In business and
most conccrnol--nbsent themselves from the
polls, and allow elections to 60 by default, Of
what avail is it to lament tho choice Of Of
| flccrs ualo BY those who do attend?
Tho suggestions TINT precincts DO so ro-
duccd in sizo that a comparatively few
voters shall bo at ono precinct is good ono !;
it ought to servo rs d check upon the intro
luction OF strange and illegal voters.
But public opinion, 10 expressed at the
POLLS, il adverse to any restrictions upon the
means Of Illegal voting. Tho Legislature ot
Illinois, made up principally by residents oi
rural districts, has repealed all laws requir.
ing registration at local elections. 1t is true,
tho country precincts are SMALL md illegnl
voting at them tho exception, and rcgistra
ton law not required at them nevertheless
these representatives of tho country districtl
| laYo ropealed even the feeble check upon IL
legal voting in the citiea by repealing tn
registry law, 50 far a. municipal elections ar'
. concerned. Aregistry isrequiredat State clcc
] tions, but tho inducements for illegal votiul
at municipal election in Chicago Is hun
: lrcd.fo!d greater than Mt State election
! Tho City Of Chicago might pay tho entire ia:
, levied by tho State, and 1t would DO s1nal
. compared with the local tar yet where th
8 frauds offer plundcr and profit to the MOI
| there is no check upon illegal voting.
/ At recent town election in Chcago, on
t Of the 1000 votes polled, 1t ia conceded b.
! the rival candidates that not over two vote
!. ont Of every FIVE polled were legal; an
. yet those two-nfths Of 5000 votes electc
8 three sets Of town officers authorized t
t levy tnxes on this city Of 450, 600 inhabitants
o There aro not perhaps less than $4,000
3 $4,000 legal voters in Chicago, and yet thi
o broad criminal farce was openly and eve
o ostentatious]y performed.
q Alr. DooLrrrLE proposes as an addition
I remedy wAat ho calls household suffrage
+ This is to give househollers and hoads {
families two votes: one to represent th
o nun, tho other the women and Children
4 tho family. This Is 10 offset tho political a
! vantage enjoyed by the single man who rel
= rcsents no one but himself, by giving to Il
!, family representation through its hea,
L This, at the best, merely increases the nun
Q hor OF votes. 1t atlds, in large cities, to Il
l. number Of ulalo alult votes m addition
= vote for each family or household. It Civ
t no additional protection to society. II
r family relation is not confined TO al
T. class. Tho class Of persons vi
Il vote for hire, who Yoto corrupt
q includes ~ many families in pr
;. | nortinn tn thnit number "a do anY nth