The Labor enquirer., 1888-02-25

something more. 1t proved tina
the bosses can carry any electloI
by the same means if they con
slider it worth while to spend tn,
money. ti safs
"Police Commissioner Stepher
B. French. certainly not a novice
of a silk-stocking in election ex
perience. recently said: IF a.
much money is spent in the mex,
presidential election as was spent
on this last one, they can elecl
almost any candidate that is pu,
up. ] never saw anything like il
1t has got fo, be not = question o.
candidatesor honesty. or-exen po
litical favor. There never was Sc
mnch mosey spent on presiden'
tial canvass as was spent here ir
New York last Tuesday. 1t wa:
simply awful; have not yet re.
covered my health
I'm theface of this, the personal
issue between Mr.. Nicoll and Mr.
Fellows. and their respective fit.
ness 10 serve the city's interests
sink into insigni6cance. Were
George Washington elected alder.
man over Benedict Arnold by
these methods it would be none
the less a fearful disgrace and a
heavy blow at the stability of de-
mocracy.
ut may be safely said. without
any attempt to palliate their crime,
that the anarchists lately hanged
in Chicago have not so sinned
against society as have the polit.
ical leaders who make such a
thing as free choice in elections
an impossibillty. ...
"For, when it can be first posi-
lively declared that a number Of
political adventurers. by the lavish
use ofmoney taken from the office
holding class or liquor interests,
or from other sources, control the
local, state or national govern
ments of this country. then can il
be said that democracy is a failure.
"How large a proportion of
voters understands the practical
workings of our election methodist 7
If the american people be cred-
tied with but the slightest leaven
of political morality, we must
count that proportion small in
deed. or the present system of
nominating and voting for candi-
dates for public Office would never
be allowed to disgrace the fabric
Of our republican institutions.
"The average American voter
of respectability is permeated by
an optimism so complete and self
satisfying that he rarely recog-
nizes in himselhthe existence of a
political conscience.
IF the truth-the whole truth
were but known; not merely read
in the newspapers. doubted and
then forgotten, but knosOn in the
light of personal observation, in
what guise would these same re-
spectacle American voters see
themselves
"As the drones in the political
beehive, outnumbering the work
ers ten to one, these drones live
on in state of beatifc quiescence,
take no part in the management Of
their society, robbed of all power,
helpless in the hands of the small
minority. owing their very peace
and security to the contemptuous
tolerance of their rulers. Only
when we come to the comparative
virtue of the two kinds of workers
beer and dbosses-does the simile
need some slight modification.
as there no remedy1 Yes. A
system denomination and election
somewhat similar to that now ir
successful practice in Australia
would effectually prevent all man
merry of bribery, intimidation and
fraud. Its details have already
been described in the North AmfyI,
can Rfutv by Mr.. Allen Thorn
dixie Rice. 1t will suffice to say
that, through its workings, no one
would undertake to bribe voters
because it would be impossible tc
tell how they voted. The fac
that a certain number of elector.