Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-11-13

Only cynics like Mr. Ruskin profess to
think that it makes no differences to Eng
land whether Lord Beacons6eld seizes .
scientific frontier, or Mr.. Gladstone gives
it up again-whether Lord BeacOns6eld
mounts guard over the lingering deathbed
of Turkey, or Mr.. Gladstone fosters the
fresh life which is springing up where the
impenitent and exhausted sinner is slowly
giving ground.
But grant tho state Of mind assumed
suppose that thousands of tho voters are in
capable-as, no doubt, very many are-of
feeling any genuine trust in either leader !;
arc too ignorant even to understand any of
the issues on WEIGH tho question of trust or
distrust turns-their duty is obvious, not
to exercises function for which they are
wholly incompetent. Would Mr.. Gardner
think it not immoral for a member Of the
hanging committee at the academy to take
money for his suffrage on behalf Of certain
pictures? We suppose he would. We sup
pose he would say that an acadsmician who
accepts place of trust is understood
to use his best judgment for the body
to which he belongs, and is . mean rascal
if he prostitutes his vote for . bribe !; and
that if he has no opinion between two pic
lures, he should abstain from voting, or
vote with the men of whose judgment he
has the best opinion; but that whatever
he does, he has no right to use false
weights, to let his vote go by corruption.
Well, We maintain that precisely the same
thing is true of tho British elector, The
constitution has defined those whose col.
lective confidence-where they feel any
is to decide to whose guidance tho state
should be entrusted. If the electOr feels
no confidence in any party,-if he knows
no one whose judgment in political matter
he relies,-he should stand aloof; and the
greatest injustice he can commit is to lei
gross self-interest supply him with an
equivalent for a political conviction. Il
either party offer to bribe him, that
party is playing false, is doing its best
to debase tho character of the arbitration
agreed to. IT, both offer to bribe
him, then in that locality both are playing
false, and he ought to expose the falsehooG
Of both. But the ono thing that is obvi
ously wrong, even at the meanest capacity
is for an elector to accept the privilege o.
judging on political grounds, and then moi
to Judge at all, but to make believe that HI
has given judgment because he 10 paiC
to tell lie. When utter Indifference as
to the result Of the party fight is seriously
made the excuse for the buying and sell
ing of tho Indifferent electors vote, one
naturally asks whether even person whC
is utterly Indifferent as to its issue, because
he is utterly ignorant as to its merits, is
at all the less likely on that account tO
forget that every vote given for bribe il
a vote which plays tue country false.
The counley solemnly provides enc
pair Of scales fo- political issues, and ther
every bigoted or careless knave who car
get secretly at the scales goes and tamperi
with the balance !; but none the less, hi
knows he is k1aye for his pains. The
analogue to bribery is not that of playing
fairly at penny, or twO-penny, or, fol
that matter at guinea whist, but that Ol
consenting to play whist at all, and then
like the ''heathen Chinee," using card.
hidden in your sleeve, which do not be
long the players pack.