Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1880-06-30


THE ILLEGAL BALLOT.
Another evil in our system of poll
tics is the illegal interference with the
ballot. The ballot is the distinguished
feature between our government and
of nearly all others. In some coun-
tries the ballot is permitted, but no.
where so freely allowed as here, where
every adult male citizen (Indiars ex-
cepted) is allowed to cast his ballot, so
that on election day the good and bad,
the rich and poor, the high and low,
the white and black, the wise and un-
wise. the sober and otherwise, throw
their ballots into the box, and out of 1t
there comes that which determines
who shall be legislative, executive and
judicial officers, whose duty 1T Is to
make, execute and expound the laws
for a great people. The ballot being an
instrumentality by which our public
affairs are guided, it is of the utmost
Importance that it be kept pure; that
none but honest votes go into the box,
and that an honest count of the votes
be made and returned To tamper with
the ballot is high crime against free
government and the highest form OF
civilization. So sacred is the ballot un
der our form of government, that to
tamper with it ought to be made an Of
fense as odious as treason, for it Is
nothing short of treason to the country
to strike at the very root of our lnstl-
tutions. 1t should be the duty of all
political parties to see to it that the
ballot box is kept pure that the whole
machinery of our elective system is
kept free from the taintj because as
long as it is possible pollute it, either
by stuffing it with illegal votes, or fall
sifvine the count, that long is it pos
sible for the dishonest and wicked to
overpower the honest and law-abiding,
and to carry out their nefarious
schemes, and thus bring the nation in
to contempt and dishonor,
THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION.
Take, for example, the last Presi-
Dental contest and see what specta-
Gle we presented to the other nations of
the world 1t was in the centennial
wear of the nations life. We had ln=
vited the other nations of the world to
our shores to vie with us in one of
those grand eXpositions in which the
genius, the skill and handicraft of all
the nations of the world were exhib-
tied in generous rivalry. We were ex-
ultant because of our national prosper
ity-because of our marvellous produc-
tions, which, coming from the young
est of the nations, were in many res
poets equal, and in others superior, to
the other natious of the world. We
were exultant because of the vastness
of our country and its wonderful re-
sources. But over and above all, that
which most thrilled the heart of the
American oitigen was the fact that
here there was larger liberty Of person.
more freedom of thought and action +;
that this great republic, extending over
it's vast borders, was the peoples own
government, owned and controlled by
them without the intervention of en-
perors, kings and mobiles ana that this
government, having reached the hun
dreth year of its existence and having
withstood the trials and shocks OF a
century, was proof against all the dan
ger of the future. That was the thought
that captiyatea the hearts and MINDS OF
the American people.
But alas how soon was mortlfica-
ton and shame to follow our exalta-
ton and pride The election over, and
in doubt which party had succeeded.
1t was manifest that it was so close
that shreWd management might turn
the scales either way. Then followed a
series of acts which make one of the
dark pages In our history Crimina-
ton and recrimination by both parties,
as to the ways employed in the election,
bv the intimidation of voters, in corrupt
dealing with the ballot box, in the fall
sifcation and rejection of returns, and
the alleged attempts to purchase the
votes of electors and although we had
lust been boasting, that as our govern
ment had stood for hundred years, it
was so firmly established that it could
withstand the shocks of the future, we
were almost precipitated into revolu-
ton, which might have ended in the
overthrow of our government. Hap
ply the disaster was aVerted by the
prudence and skill of our legislators of
both political parties, bat even now,
with this terrible experience, and al
though few years have elapsed since
its occurrence, we have, as yeS, no law
upon the statute book providing for a
like emergency So that with all our
vanity as to our superior institutions,
all our boasting about our government,
and our shrewdness as people over
and above those of all other nations OF
the earth in particular, and the rest OF
mankind in general, we haven't yet
learned how to count in President in
contested case without the charge of
cheating in the count.
| would urge, then, that one of the
highest duties of every American oiti-
zen is to see to it that the ballot is
safely guarded That little slip of pa
per which every voter takes into his
hands on election day is force more
potent in the affairs of the world than
all the iron,cad fleets that ride the
waters, or the mightiest armies that
causes to quake with the march of their
advancing squadrons. A mere strip OF
paper-it is more potent than the edicts
of kings and emperors. Light as feath-
er-it is yet strong enough to bear the
superstructure of the mightiest govern
ment ever erected upon the planet.
Abused and maltreated as it has been,
it is yet the only hope of the race for ul-
innate emancipation from the wrongs
that have been inflicted upon humani,
ty by tyrants and oppressors in the
ages Of the past.
The English are fostering it, by grad
ually extending the elective franchise