The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-04-02
THE BALLOT

4 The ballot is that invention by which
the whole people have II chance To make
known their will in government II is
the political machinery by whirh the
people determine laws, policies and
magistrates. The ballot is the initial
force of free government If it be
ehoked or perverted, IL is the putting
out Of the furnace fires that will clog
the machinery and bring disaster and
ruin. We can suffer derangemcHt in
any other part of government, rather
than the ballot for here is the central
loicc, the very heart of the system under
which we live. The executive, the leris-
laiive and the Judiciary may be corrupt.
ed and the government live, but the ballot
corrupted is the very worst form of heart
| disease We arc wont, in This day, TO
talk of the great mass Gf Ignorant voters,
but our danger is from three Glasses. viz
the lazy, the corrupt and the indifferent,
or policy, citizen. II will be found. on
examination, that the latter is our great
est source Of danger. Ii is the top, not
the bottom Of society, that threatens to
destroy this government. There is mis-
chief in lazy, ignorant voting, especially |
ln times OF great emergencies, but in all |
ordinary matters ignorant voting, though !
n great mischief, is not as iutolerablc as |
some others. While there is danger
from the ignorant masses, yet it IS over
estimated In our affairs. Combinations |
by which mcn combine TO control the ig-
no'aGt and seek through their votes the |
means Of corrupt living il danger |
tia, few properly estimate. Experience |
proves that there IS Iothlngmore corrupt |
ing and dangerous In public affairs than
for citizen TO sell his vote. Mcn have
been and are being elected to Office who
haso carefully counted ihe,oosts in the
procuring and changes of Office. who de- |
iibcraiely give money to corrupt their
fellow citizens. There is nothing in the
nomenclature of language too severe TO
dnppEnco man who would sell his vote.
But what is tht difference between the
ignorant voter and his purchaser who in
Office receives thousands for his yoteg
Surely the latter L e thousand fold
mcantr, To raise money TO buy votes
and run campaigns is much more COM
mon than TO send out papers and tracts
full ofinlormWiOn for tile people Thou
sands ot men know nothing ofthe issues
and consider voting u prerogitivc which
they may sell for what 1t may bring.
THIS thing has gone on until we have
arrived ~ "a time, vhcu If NC do not
change, our Institutions will go to pieces
from sheer corruption.
But The corruption is seen again in the
10y tamperlng with the bal
lot between the vote and the declaration
d the result; the keeping of men by vio-
ence from the polls, the stufiing of bal ;
os boxes, and the inlerGal art OF count.
ing oGt'or counting In. The man who | ,
robs a bank is no more thief than the ,
man who by fraud and violence lays his
aands on the ballot no. and Changes the
.ole or will Of the people II Is worse :
-lan counlertcIting; 1t is worse Than
Forgery; ii is worse than treason. 1t is
al these in thr,r NEST inAmous FORM, :
Ind d" sho does il should tiad his place ,
u the p-ail7uiiary. II Il to be feared ,
hat this thing is Leins done, year after ,
year, IN ward, precinct, county and state +,
elections, and The bribery aud corruption l
s not confined 20 one side Ndnaliiy IS
Ought " i.cnaiity Clerks and judges h
arc Icing bought and bought over again. I
But The greatest of all dangers is in. {
liiiuFeppc, pf policy. and negieel on the I
lart Of The educated, Passion, igno. a
-aIce, venalIty, violence are dangerous ]
o the ballot, but not half SO dangerous c
IS difference, or policy. Ii is the gull |
lest, The wickeiest and The most danger. '
'us et all our evils. 70 the poor the !
BALLOT lisa power, especially those from c
oreign lands, bus the prosperous and i
cultivated who are living at ease do not
sleem the ballot, and hepee lead TO '
N Indifference in regard to its results. I
Influences go downward in the scale of S
yradation. Ii our best citizens are in 4
liiierent, then down to the bottom, of so S
'iety, men viii say: Its matter of in
Inference, will get what can for my 1