The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1879-10-04
PARLY PLATFORMS.

There is striking resemblance in the
party platforms adopted this Fall in
many of the Atlantic States by the
Democrats and Republicans. Both de-
clare for civil service reform and free
ballot. The Democratic State Conven-
ton held in Minnesota week ago de-
manded a free ballot and an honest
count of the votes cast. at all elections,
as the inalienable right4of American citi-
zens, and declared that the presence of
armed troops at the polls upon election
day, and of partisan officials clothed
with arbitrary power to intimidate, ar
rest and imprison voters without legal
process, is intolerable in "a free country
and direct blow to the rights of
adopted citizens. The Republican State
Convention held in the State of Ne
hraska, few days later, affirmed the
principle of freedom of the ballot box,
tHu teitlotllttcu hU Vic HdIuS VI Uilc LA
ecutive of the nation protection for the
voters of the South sush as Is accorded
to all political parties in the North, and
reform in the civil service by the strict
est economy and honesty in office.
Why the, Republicans, who have had
control of the National Administration
for nearly twenty years, should be con-
tinually demanding reform in the civil
service and strict economy and honesty
in Office, when, they, as a party. are re-
sponsible for the condition of the civil
service, and could at. any time, if SO
disposed, reformsit, is one OF. those po-
ltical enigmas, the solutian of which
though surmised by the people, is fully
known only to the office-holders. 1t
seems farcical to have State conven-
tions Of the donlinapt party demanding
reform in the civil service and economy
and honesty in office every year IN the
face OF the record which shows that the
party does not attempt to accomplish
what it admits.it is necessary for it to
do.
On the freedom of the ballot both
parties agree. and if platforms meant
anything, every, qualified elector would
be protected IN the right of suffrage at
the polls and voting as he pleased, but
in the method lof securing this.right to
the citizen they differ materially. One
party processes to believe that there
can be no free elections, particularly in
!, the South, without military inteGfer-
ence at the polls, while the other party
contends that there can. be no free bal
lot in the North or in the South when
voters are intimldated by armed troops
and partisan officials, clothed with
power to intimidate, arrest and i'm
prison legal voters without legal process.
The manner of. securing free ballot
and an honest count is, therefore, at
the present time one of the great issues
(. between the Democratic and Repubt
lican parties. 1t will undoubtedly be
one of the main planks in the national
platforms of both parties in the next
Presidential campaign, and the people
will have to decide whether the Federal
or local governments whether. armed
troops and United States marshals, or
sheriffs and constables elected by the
people, shall keep peace and order at
the polls on election day. Republicans
May favor Federal interference so long
as their party is in power att Washing
ton, but with Democrat in the White
House, and all. the marshals, who are
empowered to make arrests at the polls
without .dae process of law, and by
that means prevent citizens from
voting of that political faith, we
apprehend that Republicans would be
as anxious to leave the matter as it
!, used to be, in the hands of the local
officers, as Democrats are now. 1t is a
bad precedent for either party to estabr
l,sh, as it gives the party ia power UNI
due advantages at the polls
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The talented young Washoe states