The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1876-11-04
4 DON'T WANT TO THROW MY
VOTE AWAY


tons Of the country, when referring to the
Presidential contest, and their action IN
the matter. "If Cooper has no chance Of
election, say they, we want to vote for
the next best man" Well, friends, the
question is, who is the next best man A
number Of you think Hayes is, number
incline to Tilden, and the next best" Is
generally decided by the former political
preferences Of the party expressing them.
There is no next in this contest-no
second choice. Tllden and Hayes are
alike the representatives Of the money
mower. Both are tarred with the stick
stick both committed to the same line OF
policy both virtually pledged to carry on
the same principles, and these principles
are in direct antagUnism to the principles
to which you are supposed to have given
vour allegiance. Oh and water won't mix,
and it requires no special pleading, no ex-
tended argument, 70 process Of reasoning
TO lead you to this conclusion. Your own
native common sense must convince you
Of this fact, and if it does you have been
saili ~ under false colors, and are where
YOU have no right to be.
Take the Republican and Democratic
platforms read and weigh them carefully
plank by plank strip them Of their yer
biase and platitudes, and supplant their
study by a careful examination of the prln-
ciples of the Independent party-let the
sober, second thought do its work-and
the man OF class Of men who prefer to act
as the lickspittles Of the monied rings, by
maintaining in power the Republican
party. with its corruption and avowed hos
tility to the interests of labor, OF supPlant-
ing it with a party equally hostile, though
sailing under other colors, are unworthy
alike Of confidence or contempt.
Have the men who pirate about throw
ing their votes away" considered the OBJ
ject for which the Independent party was
called into existence, or the financial re-
forms which it seeks TO inaugurate Has
the experience Of the past been thrown
away Have not the evils sought to be
removed been created by the one party and
Justified by the other Do they realize
what independent action means That
both parties, through their representative
delegates, in national council assembled,
have derided their claims and sPurned
their appeals That Republican Senate
and Democratic House are equally respon-
sible for the business stagnatlon which
prevails, and both committed to the same
line Of policy That the party press and
party representatives, as rule, VIE with
each other in obsequIous devotion q
the monied power. THAI party allegiance
in the future, as in the past, Will be para
mount in caucus and in legislation to the
public veal, and vet these would-be
| thought reforIners talk about throwing
their votes away when voting against IN
perpetuatioa and extension 81 the villain
Gus system which has pauperizsd. and vii
continue to pauperize the country.
Now, let MS see where this line If argu
ment, practically carried out, would lanc
us. The supposition is that the averag,
American citizen can give reason for tbs
faith that is in him; in other words, intel
Hgsnce directs his ballot, and that ballot Is
the embodiment Of his free, untramelled
opinions, deliberately formed, on the pend
inc issues-local, State OF national-and
is the instrument by which expression 4:
given to popular opinion, an endorsement
OF a condemnation Of a certain line OF
policy adopted, or proposed to be adopted.
This. in fact, il the essential characteristic
of Democratic government govern
ment Of the people, for the people and by
the people, as contradistinguished from a
despotic or autocratic form Of government.
The power to change, annul or amend, III
the constitutionally ordained manner, is
the safety valve Of the Republic. The ao-
solute freedom Of the individual citizen
secures to the minority an unfettered *
preston Of opinion, no matter how over
whelming the majority TO which they are
opposed. Keeping in view the important
fact that a vital principle is at stake that
a vote for Peter Cooper is protest against
the financial heresies alike Of the I<epubli-
can and Democratic parties-that some
thing more important than temporary sue
cess is the ultimatum, the same argument
might be used 10y every Democrat IN Yer
mont or Rhode Island, and by every Re-
nublican In Texas or Alabama. Yet what
would be thought Of the consistency OF
citizen, living III Rutland, consclentIously
opposed to the perpetuatlon Of Repuoh-
can rule, voting for ITS nominees, because
the Democratic party was in a minority IL
Vermont, or Of citizen Of Houston, op-
posed to the advent of the Democratic
party to power, voting for its nominees be-
cause the Republican party could not carry
the State of Texas. And yet this is
lust the excuse given by a number of
greenback croakers who attempt to justify
their proposed recreancy to principle, by
skulking behind the plea that they don't
want to "throw their votes away" On
the hypothesis, that they are conscien-
tiously opposed to and unbelievers in the
sin.lio smilib,s curantW doctrine, do they
not realize that every ballot cast for Til
den or Hayes is vote absolutely hrolcn
a,oay, so far as the particular reform
upon which the canvass is made, is con-
cernedl And if this reform is, as they
claim, the overshadowing question Of the
hour, what a contemplate, pItiable, srul-
tifYing plight they place themselves in
while attempting to defend their treason.
Again, let US see what minority, con-