Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-02-17
4a,lraster fntelliqencer.
TUESDAY EVENING, FEB. IL, 1880.
Political SubSerYienc9.

Political Subservience.
The election in this city to-day occa-
siOnS an unusual excitement in political |
circles, and the on-looking population |
in it for the sake of being in the fashion. |
The better element in our population has |
been aroused by the strenuous effort to
elect by any means to the mayoralty a
man who is notoriously unfit for the
place, in the stead of one who has shown
himself to be good officer. At this late
hour OF the election day we do not dis
cuss the issue between the candidates
with any purpose to influence the cleo
tion. But it is instructive to consider the
contest now closing in especial view of
the effort that has been made to compel
the Republican voters to sustain their
party nominees for the chief Office of the
city, regardless of the qualifications of the
candidates. We believe that it will not
he disputed by anyone of respectable un-
derstanding, who knows the men that the
Democratic candidate, seeking election.
is far better qualified for the mayoralty
than the Republican candidate who es-
says to GUST him :; and those who do not
know both the men with sufficient in
timacy to decide upon their merits do
know that Mr.. MacGonigle has made a
good officer and that therefore it is the
part of wisdom and prudence for every
citizen who desires the mayOralty
to be most capably filled to adj
vOcate his election. There will he
enough of such Republican citizens, we
confidently believe, to re-elect the pres
ent mayor but it has nevertheless ap-
peared, through the advertisement of
their recommendation of Mr.. Boring.
that there are Republicans, who are
substantial citizens of reputed good
sense and judgment, who do not
desire the election of the ftteSt
man for mayor unless he be of
their party. \ great many of
the Republican citizens were I'M
dOubtedly bulldozed by their party
workers into signing paper which their
judgment condemned. Veal know that
respectable men, who believe that they
respect themselves. are nevertheless often
very timid and cOwardly when the poll
tician comes to them and seeks to nail
them to the party nominations. Their
independence then Oozes out at their
finger ends, and, with the most ludi-
crously sudden bending of the knees,
men who have just been denounc-
ing among their friends bad
nomination and declaring that they
will never support it are brought up
''all standing" 10y the ward politician
who takes them by the ears and secures
from their abject souls a promise to vote
the straight ticket. We have in our
minds eye number of such men whose
names we found appended to Mr.. Boz
ing's advertised recommendation, who
did not vote for him. to-day, although
they recommended others to do SO. They
were not brave enough to resist party
dictation, although they had courage
enough to attempt to preserve frag-
ment of their reslectability by voting
Il secret ballot according to their
real Judgment There are plenty
of such men. Quite probably the majority
of men would consent thus to look one
way and act another. if they found them
selves in a corner. For many there is
the strong excuse that if they did not
counterfeit their intentions they would
endanger their daily bread. The secret
ballot is the proper protection against
such an evil, and every man is right in
availing himself of it. No man can
he required to declare how he intends
to vote; and no independent man
will permit himself to be questioned
as to how he will vote. We cannot
blame severely the poor man who per
mits himself to he thus interrOgated, nor
even Wien he returns false answer,
But men who are able to be independ,
ent, and yet are too cOwardly to obey
their convictions, are unworthy of es,
TEEN; and those of BOring's subscribers
who gave him the influence of theil
names while withholding from him theil
votes have no reason to congratulate
themselves upon their manliness.
Nor have those who signed his paper
and who voted for him cause to plume
themselves upon their good sense and
good citizenship. They have deliberate,
ly attempted to foist into the chief Office
of the city man whom they know to be
unfit, and whose redeeming trait is only
that he is a Republican. They cannot
Justify such extremity of party devotion
in a municipal election. 1t is utter
folly. With respectable candidate {;
party can reasonably call for the support
of its members; but when it presents
one notably unfit every self-respectine
voter will reject him.
YOUR vote may change the result
Hasten to the polls and cast it for Mac
Gonigle.
THERE were men at the polls to-day