The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1890-08-21
UNS OUND q Gre

II Wy titV lalo OllCan conven
=, !, tion,ls being commented on by severn
I OF our exchang los; and has some thin 81 |,
g It's favor IL is not however in accord
anc nee with the Australian system now !,
popular. lit lis q good thing al con
9 MENTIONS it should be a good thing =
n the polls. We hardly think that anv3 y
d its admirers would advocate its nsa i
i general elections. And it is open Is ~,
), same same objections at nominating conyen.
I lions Some people ssare afraid ia ~ i
: an open ballot" upon any occasion. mi 81,
2 there may be other honest men, who l,
der financial Or other obligation to j
aIParty boss Or wire puller, might, be
Z |afraid to cast a ballot as their consc 81
Z dictated, lest they lose money OF position
3 by the operation. The intention of the
I. present law is that every man shall he
! allowed to cast his ballotnpon every "a
casion, whether it be at a caucus. con
4 ve yer lon OF at hepolls, perfectly free and
untrammcled, and this he could not do
with a fellow standing around to report
/
&, !, that lie voted against person in whose
i power he happened to be. 1t NAV IS,
4 argued that5a man who is ashamed ia
let people or his constituents know how
i he votes, lis not much Of man, etc IS,
j That is simply nonsense. At a conyen-
ton the delegates are elected to repre-
sent the district from which they come.
and are supposed to have the confidence
! OF their constituents, and the manner 81
voting does not enter into tile question.
Inc general proposition that a !. mans
vote is his own, and lie has Il rinht#to
cast cast It Tor whom he pleases, without
dllcftaltlon, is a good one. Aaolso Herald.
There is a wide distinction be-.
tween voting at the polls and vot-.
1ng,ln a representative political
convention. Tie voter at the,
polls casts his own individual bal
lot; he represents nobody but
himself; and it is nobody's bust
ness who he votes for. An open
ballot at the polls is out Of the
question. No sane person would
think mink Of adyoca ting such a thing.
In political convention It is
dlf1Fetrlent. The delegate to a po !.
lltlcal conVent ion is, for conyen-
.lence, chosen by the mem bers Of
his party to voice their senti.
ments and carry out their wishes.
If A is chosen to represent Anoka
county in the Republican State
convention with the understand.
ing that ne will sup port B, who is
the first choice Of the Republicans. Of.
that county, and then, for consider
ton, votes for g, A would undoubtedly
favor a secret ballot. He would not |
dare i disre gaTd his instructions openly
and Ind the secret ballot would afford him -
loophole of escape from the wrath 8 his
constituents cons l This is not Simply non i
sense Such things have been done in
political conventions in this and other
states. We could cite numerous IN.
stances that have come under our own
personal IS observation. Then again, a
candidate can for office is prone to promise
the support OF his home delegation to
any and all candidates for other positions
on the ticket in the vain hope of secur-
Ing support for himself. Such man
would 1Atl naturally enough favor a secret
ballot. Tricksters, liars and boodlers
Will favor a secret ballot every time
The y candidate that intends to honestly E
ana faithfully fulfill the pledges he has &
made will never kick against an omen
oallot IN political convention. u "a con-
has no business to elect "a rem
'e 'ss tive who is under obligations to
my political boss or wire puller,'', n or
me who is afraid to honestly and boldly 81
'olce the sentiments of his constituents. l.
! ne sec secret ballot opens the gateway to I
raud and coTruption fraud in CASTING i
no nd counting the ballots, and corruption 81
q purchasing mercenary delegates. We Ia
ave ave a vivid recollection Of the uproar y
hat was created in the Republican State !
Of 1885, when upon the third 8
7 81 fourth 'l ballot for governor it was dis. I
oyered that there were more votes cast :
han han there were delegates in tile conven- q
ION. There is no chance for fraud when y
ne vote vote Of each county is openly and
nsdlbly announced. The open ballot \ \
xpedlItes business. Furthermore. tia !
recede ut set by the Republican aud q
national conventions i. y IS 3
GOD one to follow. Finally, we 1nost d 4
mpha Ideally dispute the proposition
that q mans vote is his own, and Ia d
as g right to cast it for whom IA Il Il
leases. '' An honorable man viii vota &.