New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-11-01
NEW ORLEANS REPUBLICAN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1876
LET THE BALLOT BE eAoREp,

LET THE BALLOT BE SACRED.
The act Of voting for whom we woul,
have make and administer our laws shout,
be considered sacrament of America
liberty. When at the ballot box voter
should remember the sacrifices which
have been made to make this great priv
liege OF citizenship common right. Il
sense, the ballot as it stands to-day il
an epitome Of all that for which our Pill
grim fathers left homes and friends t
meet dangers and hardships in the New
World; it is the compact substance of al
that Washington and the heroes Of thu
revolution struggled for by driving mon
archical and invading armies from Amer
lean soil; it is the essence of the true
liberty contended for by the Republican
party until the bondmen became free,
and the doctrine Of universal suffrage SC
lar progressed that the white man,
| black man, and the citizen from foreign
lands can enjoy its privileges. In saying
this, We are supposing that voters at the
polls will not be hindered or intimidated
BY bad men, who have no honor and no
regard for the laws of the land. The
right to vote is an inheritance bequeathed
to us by our forefathers, blessed by the
establishment of religious liberty on
American soil, and made more sacred by
the blood Of the Union martyrs, who fell
in the struggle to perpetuate the Union
aQf the States and give the ballot to the
black as we'll as to the white man. The
manner of voting has undergone many
changes since it was adopted as an ex-
preston of the will of the people in this
country. The quickest, purest and SIM
plest form is that in vogue with the Henob.
scot Indians OF Maine. The candidates for
chief are placed under different trees and
every Indian able to carry tomahawk is
told to 60 and stand by the man of his
choice. The canvass is made-the vote
is the man-and the vote is taken, counted,
and the returns, without contest, are ali
in within the space Of five minutes. There
are no repeaters, and the new chief knows
who are his friends. The Puritans of
Massachusetts invented the more secret
ballot, not as frank and honorable as that
used by the heather, but yet simpler and
better than the Tweed system. The Pu-
ritans voted with corn and beans. il hav.
ing been agreed which candidate should
be represented by corn and which by
beans before each voter had deposited his
vegetable or grain ballot. Then came the
first button-holing and working for
and arose the famous ex-
"Tou don't know beans" as
bean man commissioner saw his |
neighbor vote corn. As Americans adj
7anced IN knowledge, progressed in re-
igion, refinement and culture, and in
creased their wealth, they unnaturally be-
'ame more corrupt, and registration and |
III sorts of plans have from necessity
'een adopted to protect The purity of the
ballot. The present system Of registering
nd voting in this State, taken with the
awful pun'shments for wrong doing, is
'early as complete as can be hoped for.
III depends on the voters Let mob of
nen. dare to use shotguns and intimidate
r drive honest voters from the polls, and
hey will find themselves candidates for
be State Prison, and the votes of the Doll
brown out at the count. So much for
be law. The voter can not too highly
rize the privilege Of voting. The foreigner
no makes this country his home to free
imself from tyranny must advise him
IF as to which party in American poll
cs is the party of liberty. Irishmen
no come here smarting under fancied
rongs inflicted by their home govern
ent, too often bring with them the feel
g that to be opposed to the government
to be right, and they vote with Demo-
ats "agin the government" To be true
himself and to his race the colored man
ust vote for the party which gave him =
'erty and the right to vote, that the
ivileges won By Union soldiers may be
'eserved to him at and by the ballot.
,e trader in votes is character too con-
mptible to think of without pain. The
Ter brother sold his birthright for mess
pottage. Judas sold his Saviour for
lrty pieces Of silver. The degraded T
other and the trahicing ex-disciple
uld not have been lower down in the o
lie Of humanity than is an American p
izen who bargains away his vote or sc
right to vote. Let every voter be o,
n in every sense of the word next Tues st
7, and vote as he wills, wishes and
nks; not as he may be urged to vote by ="
end his governments enemies. On nj
day Of election the poor and humble
MS vote counts for as much as that of u
aristocrat; let the poor man be true &C
n, vote for his life and his liberty, and ca
e as he chooses. not as the solid South
ots. -
E DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES AND TIE re
RAILROAD TAX ec