Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-10-18
Lancaster fntelligencer
SATURDAY nvBNINo, OCT, ls. 1894,
Dishonest Voters.

If the Republican voters believed all
TO be true that is said In disparagement
Of Mr.. Blaine's integrity, great many
Of them would not vote for him, though
no doubt the great majority would. Ii
IL safe to say that after party has nom
mated its candidates for president, he
will receive the great mass Of the
party vote; and the majority OF
its intelligent vote as well as OF
its unintelligent. People are so con-
stituted generally as to follow their
party blindly. Their action Is controlled
by their prejudices, which have full sway
over their judgment. Comparatively
few voters are sufficiently well posted
In political affairs, and with knowledge
Of the record of their candidates to
decide upon their own information as to
their character and qualifications and
the heated time Of political campaign
is poor time in which to post them.
Campaign charges are readily received
as campaign lies when they interfere
with the disposition the voter has to sup
port his party and its candidates.
There are many intelligent people in the
country who are sufficiently free from
partisan compulsion to make their
votes accord with their conscientious
convictions, and who will not vote for a
very bad candidate. They blossom out
as Independents when their party makes
q nomination they do not approve. We
have them now as Independent Repub-
licans, supporting the Democratic ticket
because Mr.. Blaine is corrupt. They
are satisfied of this upon the abundant
proof offered in his long public career.
He has been freely denounced by his
fellow Republicans as corrupt when he
three times sought the Republican
nomination, and twice it was wrested
from him because his party
feared to carry his record. When
it at the third trial under
took the job, fragment Of those
who had denounced him were consistent
and honest enough to maintain theil
opposition to him and to boldly advocate
the election of his Democratic competi'
tor. They have been doing their utmost
to keep the country from the disgrace OF
his election and The probability is that
they will effect their object; although ii
is a fact that the most Of those Republi
cans who deemed Blaine too base to be
nominated, consider him good enough tc
be elected. Their party fealty has proved
stronger than their love Of country o
their self respect.
1t will not do for US to say that MI
Blaine will receive no vote from an
honest, self respecting and intelligen
Republican for there are many sucI
who will vote for him and comparativel
few even will vote against him. Blu
nevertheless it is true that they will cas-
their votes for a man whom they know
or have every opportunity of knowing
to be corrupt man. They will vote fo
him anyhow. How then can we conced
them to be honest ? Only by supposin
that their honesty is weaker than the
party prejudice which leads them t
prefer the worst Republican in office
the best Democrat. Those who kno'
Blaine to be bad man and JUSTIFY Lhhel
vote for him, argue that the quality c
the Republican policy outweighs th
quality of the Republican man. The
take Blaine because he is Republican
which is virtue to overbalance th
longest list of penitentiary deservin
vices. That is the sort of citizens the
are but it is not good sort.