San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1880-06-26

man would be laughed at who would
seriously propose to any ct opr party
leaders q poor man % an available can
didats for tho Presidsncy, o. Every
thing, iu fact. is subordiuated to the
paramount question Of party success
On the alleged ground Of Democratic
intimidation 10 Louisiaua, 10 1876. the
vote of that state Was coputed BY the
Republicans for their Presidential
candidate. and the people were thus
decrauded Of their choice. This very
naturally Ibegot the recent project
among the Democrats Of Maine "a
make 10 small reprisal in that state
which failed, however, just a. the game
of tissue ballots" In South Carolina,
which was attempted blythe Repabli.
cans two years ago, was defeated
through the more extensive use Of that
ballot by the Democrats. The spirit Of
the times and the purposerof our party
leaders are pretty clearly disoerned iu
the fact that by common consent no
ssfe.g guards arctic. bsprovided by con.
gress agaiust.a 4 recurrence Of the eleeto
ral.roubles'of four yesrs ago ;'and il
seems quite manifest that the real
question to beCsettled by The presiden.
tial contest ofthis yearisaot so much
who shall be elected, as who shall be
counted in" after the votes are cast,
The leaders of each party will justify
themselves in the use Of the most ques.
tionable methods 10 securing the vic
tory, on the ground of the badness Of
the other aud the predicted ruin
to the country which its success
would 'oi involve. n'in They are
playing the gamc Of" tit for tat" A
prominent party leader recently made
the remark, that we must train up our
boys and young men to vote as often
as ten times at our elections The 9th
er party does it, and if We do not play
the sans game we shall continue TO be
beaten" This decentralization seems
to increase ia the dominant parties 10
nronortion ma the issues which once di.
yided them disappear, and their con.
tests degenerate into mere struggle
for power and spoils,, That a repub'
lican government can permanently en-
dure such a mockery of it's. principles
no thinking man can believe !; for the
form without the power Of democracy
is as worthless as the form without the
power Of godliness., 5,4n,g.
/. Jrfasy THE REMEDy.lu s3iJv
But what is the remedy'?1It is far
easier to ask this question than to
answer it. What the country needs is
such an awakened conscience among
the great body Of the people, and such
reverence for the ballot as the real
expression Of the peoples wish, as
shall thoroughly regeuerate our politics
subordinate party machinery to the
public good, and send to the
rear the trained a. rnercenaries
under whose lead the conduct
Of public affairs bas, been degraded and
disgraced. But this is o task SO i'm
meuse that nothing but the enthu'
siasm Of living faith in the principle
Of democracy will count it possible
We shall be told that the very facts
which we present prove the unitness
Of the people for self-goyerument and
the impossibility of making the suffrage
conform 10 fact to the ideal we have
set forth, 1t will be argued BY some
that the only remedy is the restriction
of the ballot. But this is as utterly i'm.
practicable as it is absurd. How
shall it be restricted? If the poor
man, d who sells his vote under the
pressure ofwant, or perhaps, to relieve
the pangs Of hunger, is to be disfran'
chlsed. what shall be done with the
rich rascal who leads him into tempta
ton :? Is poverty only to be disgraced
and wealth made a crown Of glory
Where is the line to be drawn? If tho
ignorant man must be DISTINGUISHED
what shall be done with the educated
reprobate who thus becomes pillar il
the aristocracy Of knowledge If the
right to vote is to depend upon the
mora, character of the voter, who shall
define and fix the particular measure
of virtue required for the successful
administration Of the government
The wiuuowiug Of tbs sheep from the
goats on the Day Of Judgment may b
perfectly accomplished. because ths
proceeding will supervised by unerrins
wisdom but Who will be able TO de
teruiDe The principle upon which tboss
Who are ht for the outrage shall b
set ,p,rt from, the unfit Z? If"govern