Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-04-12
Our Ticket For 1888.
The Lancaster Election.


The HERALD went to press too soon
after last Tuesdays election to allow
any comments upon it without emitting
important items of news. Now
the subject is little old, and has
been pretty thoroughly discussed.
There are, however, some phases that
we cannot forbear abiding to. 1t is
evident that there was a considerable
element represented in the caucus of
the previous Saturday, which, for rea-
sons best known to themselves, desired
a change in the chalrmanship. The
vote there stood ~ for Abrams to 43 for
Ryland on the first ballot. The chair
man stated at once that Mr.. Ryland,
having received the majority Of all the
votes cast was the nominee of the
caucus. Il was rumored about the
street that evening that Mr., R}land
was nominated upon an informal ballot
OF course If the other side had wished
the first ballot to be considered informa
they should have made such motion.
That was an after-thought, but it served
as an excuse (if any excuse was needed
for getting out another ticket 1t was
claimed that if the vote had been taken
over il would have gone the other way.
Be that as it may, another ticket was
gotten out. 1t might have been ex-
pected. Such things have happened
before when the voting was not so close
in the caucus. ANY voter had right
to get out such a ticket According TO
custom it might not have been consid-
cred in good taste for a man who had
led fight in a caucus and got fairs
beaten to get out another ticket, but il
is stated that such was not the case in
this instance No one need have been
afraid of that second ticket. If there
were voters who wanted to vote that
way they should have had an opportun-
lily to do 50, and they would have done
SO, ticket or no ticket. If the two
tickets had been placed side by side
at the polls, the straight caucus ticket
would have been elected by good
majority. But some people were either
scared before they were hurt, or else
were anxious to get even slim excuse
to beat the nominee for assessor. He
is said to be very stubborn" man,
which means man that could not be in
iiuenced to assess property according to
the dictation of the bosses, or so that a
poor msn would pay more in proper
ton to his property that a rich man.
He has also made some personal en-
emes by the vehement expression of
his convictions. We have had an
assessor who gave almost universal
satisfaction, and we have no reason to
doubt that we have elected one
who will do the same, so nothing we
nave said can be construed as any re-
lection on either of them. What we
DO say is that a scrupulously honest and
cause. This move was Justified by the
workers on the ground of retaliation for
having gotten out the Abrams ticket,
but as Mr. Barber had nothing to do
with that, tho excuse was thin. They
would better not have attempted any
excuse. III regard 20 the methods en-
ployed, they were the same that are
used on both sides at every election
here and arc subject 10 the severest
censure. Ticket peddlers were on
every corner to catch those who had
not made up their mind, and those who
have no mind, and ''run them in and
vote them. 1t is legitimate and fair
to use all the argument one can, to bring
an undecided voter to his way of think
ing, but to try and force ticket on a
man and urge him unduly to vote it, is
disgrace 10 the 'bulldozer" and an
IusRlt to the voter Another trick that
was resorted to was the removal of the
straight caucus tickets from the polls.
There was not, as has been claimed,
any attempts to use bogus tickets,
but when the regular tickets were taken
away. there was no chance to compare
them, and it is probable that many
voted tho ticket headed people 5
Ticket thinking they were voting fol-
the caucus nominees. The same things
have been done here before, though,
and are done in other places. We
probably had about the same kind Of
an election they had in many other
places, but such methods are an abom.
ination anywhere and should be dis
countenanced.