Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1884-11-13

into the business affairs OF lie ScCupu-
lous and conscientious regard for the rights
of others; to protect our lives and liber-
ties to shield our homes, our affairs and
fires, and this they can do, and can only do
by vigorous, stern, impartial and unyield-
ing enforcement of the criminal law.
1t is grave thing to accuse of crime and
should not be done unless the testimony
unexplained warrants a conviction, but it
is graver still, and more disastrous to So
ciety to fail to accuse in cases where the
testimony demands it.
LooOking backward now to the day, in
the spring of 1871, when oppressed with
the responsibilities before me, l took my
seat on this bench, and forward through
the laborious years that passed to the pres
ent hour, / think l can see marks of i'm
provement and progress. Many evil prac-
tices have been suppressed, there is heal
thier public sentiment, and better tone
to our civilization. And much of this i'm
provement may be attributed to the action
of the courts and juries. 1t is true enough
that many crimes in this county have gone
unpunished The murder of John Dem
and the hanging OF COmbes and another,
are standing reproaches to us all, that the
perpetrators of these dastardly deeds haye
not been brought to trial and punishment
But there has been an honest, vigorous ef-
fort to punish these crimes, and there
should be no failure or lack of endeavOr In
this direction until the end is accomplish
ed and this reproach to our machinery of
Justice removed.
But much as has been accomplished
there remains much more to do. There
are crimes habitually committed here,
that habitually 60 unpunished. If there
is anything sacred to the American people,
to the principle of self government and the
rights of man, it is the ballot box. Upon
the preservation of it's purity we base all
our hopes 1t is the hope of humanity.
We received it from our fathers as sacred
trust, and we would be traitors to strug-
Cling freedom everywhere, if we did not
transmit it unpolluted and undefiled to
our children.
am no partisan. You can all testify to
that since it was my fortune to sit here. l
have taken no part in party politics. l
speak to you simply as an American citl-
zen, anxious only that the principles Of
our government shall be preserved and
maintained in their purity, and when this
end is attained, it is not very material to
the people which political party is in
power. Every good citizen loves his
country, and would guard with his life, If
need be, the principle of self government,
which receives all its vitality from the
! purity of the ballot box.
There is in this Territory demOralized
public sentiment on this subject. / only
speak what you all do know, and what is
generally understood, when / say, that at
every election here, frauds OF one kind and
another are practiced upon the ballot box.
Men swear in their votes who have not re-
sided in the Territory the length of time
required by law, but they are not prose-
cuted for perjury They feel secure be-
cause no prosecution of this kind has ever
taken place in the Territory.
The use of money in elections either di-
rectly or indirectly by one political party
OF the other, or by any members OF either,
is a crime and disgrace. 1t is dangerous
to our liberties and shakes the very pillars
of the State.
| Organization for the purposes OF healthy
political action is proper, but the collec-
tion of large sums OF money for election
purposes leads to corruption and frauds
and is dangerous to the liberties OF the
| people 1t leads to the purchase OF votes,
| and there are votes for SALE There are men
in this community who habitually sell their
votes upon election day to one party or the
other. They look forward to the election
as their harvest. They are not Republi-
cans or Democrats. But they are for sale.
They receive bids, and after being pul :
chased by one party, they are open for
negotiations with the other, and finally
| l1xl ~ 10 ~
They barter away their honor and make
damaged merchandise of their manhood.
And so it comes about that men are con-
stantly heard to say that they cannot at
ford to be candidates for office. They de-
clare that they have not the money re-
quired to be candidate. l have heard
officers complain that it cost them the first
years salary of their Office to secure their
ELECTION.
Why cannot poor man be candidate
for office? Must the American citizen be
hired to exercise the elective franchise
And must ne be paid to vote for one can
didate or the other? If it has come to
this that we have to be hired
to exercise the right of self
| government, we are not worthy
to be called American citizens. The right
of self-government, exercised at the ballot
box. is sacred. Our children should be
taught to revere it upon the mothers knee
and in the schools 1t should become a
part of the religion of the full-grown man,
and be guarded and protected as one OF the
divinities of his home. But IF this right
can be bartered away who shall teach our
children for what our fathers Taught?
We believe that the majority shall rule.
| This is a part of our religion. 1t is the
foundation upon which the whole fabric OF
our government rests. The minority must
submit to the majority. This is an ele-
mental principle. 1t is peculiar to Anglo
saxon civilization. But if the people lose
faith in the integrity, honesty and purity
of the vote of the majority the value of the
right of self-gOvernment is gone, and the
government, the constitution and the law
is shaken to its foundation. Such loss of
faith because of fraudulent ballots, Is the
opening door to disorder, anarchy and po-
! litical ruin
The better element of the people without
regard to party affiliations or creed should
fight this foe to their liberties and their
homes and the grand jury, call
ing to their aid the power OF the county
and the Territory, should hunt down and
bring to just punishment every offender
against the election laws. The law Is
complete and only needs to be enforced to
secure the purity of the ballot-box.
| must also call your attention to the
reckless and indiscriminate sale OF intoxl-
eating drink. We have statute which
makes it a crime to sell or give away IN
toxicat;ng liquors to persons in the habit
of becoming drunk, and it is fact that
men here in our midst are constantly
dropping into drunkard's graves or are
being sent to insane asylums, demented,