The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-08-31
A TRUST NOT A RIGHT.

ously impressed with the sacred res
onsibility attached to it.
When the tallacy expressed by the
aging ''my vote is my own and [ can
10 as like with it, is accepted as a
'olltical axiom, universal suffrage, be-
-omes danger and snare, a danger to
ne commonwealth and snare to con-
clence. A mans vote is not his own to
o as he likes with; their is nothing he
possesses he has so little right to claim
sindividual property to be exercised at
viii for individual interests, likes and
as his vote. 1t is not his at all.
t is a sacred trust confidcd to him as a
itizen, by his country, to be used for the
est interests of that country. He may
deed err in his exercise of it, his Judy
aent may be faulty, his views on public
uestions, erroneous. his confidence in
-'ublic men i'll founded. Yet when he
cts honestly to the best of his judgment,
l, errors are not crimes, nor do they
.ntail any lasting evils on the country.
they are merely temporary mistakes -
hadows to pass away and leave no mark
s the night mists of the valley pass away
before the rising sun. But when know
ngly aad wiltully he acts contrary to the
ictates of his conscience and Judgment
re commits crime, he wounds, with the
cry weapon he was intrusted with for
neir defence, the institutions OF his coun
ry,he is traitor to hisGod and to his
onntry at the same time.
In this country and in this day the
wills which are eating their way into the
leart of the republic may be distinctly
raced to the want OF moral perception
n the part ofthe people, as to the duties
attached to the ballot: box.
1t is exercised as an irresponsible right
md not as sacred trust.
1t might be imagined that here is a
! ield tor Christian ministers to labor in,
)ut, unfortunately those of them lwho in
.erfere in politics do so in general, as the
nost violent, narrow-minded partizans
Ignoring the divine instruction. 1T
you have anything against your brother
20 first and be reconciIed to him" they
carry their quarrel with their brother
tight up into their pulpits aud fling il
with vim, at his head and exhort their
:. congregations ITO hit him again"
Great stress is laid on intelligence il
A'egard to the ballot and very little OF
honesty in our opinion the people il
general are quite intelligent enough,it i
IN common honesty and decent regar,
for sacred trust,they fail.
- The republic does not demand OF its CT,
liens, that they shall be experts in tinan
cial science. nor cunning in state craft
nor learned in political lore, but, tina
they shall be honest men exercising tn
same intelligence in their public affair
that they do in their private affairs, doin
50 conscientously and honestly; nothin
more than this. nothing less than this.
The great need OF the time is self re
form and until we have it public reforl
is Il delusion.
The blows dealt ut corruption. to b
effective. must come from clean hant
= and honest hearts. 1t is most shallo
false view to attribute the corruption
the people to the active, corrupt polit
clans. the latter are bnt the excrescence
a diseased society tor which the Peep
are themselves answerable. No MIR
ever reelected more faithfully the tor
pres ented to it, than the politician do
the political morality OF his constituent
There is evidence of desire for r
form among the people 1t the prese
time. and Ii it reaches inward AS well
outward, it will be of iucalculable ben
tit...freeing men from the debasing Dor
age of party and leaving them free to
be guided each by his own conscientio
Judgment.
How far this desire Tor reform is real
assumed, how tar it proceeds from /,
heart or the lips the coming elect
will, in our judgment, very fully 1
monstrate.
There have been fearful corrupt q
posures made which the people m
condemn at the ballot box or self z,
eminent is most humiliating sham !
failure, and the demand for reform. IA
- er the cry of party than the expires
Ola people capable OF governing.
AcR1AT WORK.
We would call especial attention
the following notice. We had the ht
or OF Mr.. Robinson's acquaintance
Congress, and We can vouch that
- nan in the United States is better fit
hen he for the task he has undertaken
W. ,rusf that the Irish Of MINES