Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-17
ESPECIAL TELEeRAM TO THE pIspArcH. 7

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE pIsPATcH.r
LAKE CHAUTAUoUA, N. Y, August 16.
"A brilliant Saturday programme OF poll
tics, mirth and music was enjoyed to-day by
Chautauquans. This morning New York
| State Senator Charles T. Saxton made a
ringing speech in favor of 'ballot reform, I"
and DR.. Byron King. in, discoursing on the
perpetuation of American institutions, said
that the attempt of certain ecclesiastical or
ganizations to unite church and State was
one of the most formidable menaces of our
national future.
For three years Mr.. Saxton has been push
| ing his "ballot reform" bill modelled after
the Australian idea in the New York State
Legislature Each time it received the veto
of Governor David B. Hill, but this year
the pressure was so great that after many
concessions the measure received his sane
tion. Unlike so many speakers of partisan
| nature, who came here, Senator Saxton was
remarkably fair and from his speech you
could not have divined his party affiliations.
PROGRESS IN THREE YEARS.
SIN the last two or three years." he said,
eve have heard great deal about ballot
reform. Three years ago little was known
concerning the Australian system, but since
then its progress has been remarkably rapid
| The farming and laboring classes became
| greatly interested, petitions were sent in to
| the legislatures, and the demand for
law could not be resisted.
Upon the ballot depends the whole struc-
ture of our institutions. 1t is the badge OF
| liberty and the guarantee of our sover-
| eighty. Power is not necessarily evil of it
| self;a despot may act with wisdom. The
republic is the best government only when
it is made up of the best people. When
| the ignorant voter prevails, the
name of free institutions is only shell-the
| substance is gone. Political power is often
given those who can best control the ignor.
! ant or possess the wealth to hold votes at
their command. Then duty and honor falls
to dull ears. The political boss becomes
| dominant.
CAN'T GET RID OF FACTS.
ST am no pessimist. I have abundant
| faith in our institutions and in our brain
and conscience to protect them, but If there
| is evil there is no need to shut our eyes to it
and say there is not evil. As long as public
trusts are given to weak and venal men,
there will be corruption. No doubt there
is more corruption now than years ago. The
people do not know how great this evil has
become. Besides the many ignorant citizens
that we have, we are every year Hooded
with these commodities from foreign shores
"There are certain demoralizing influences
left from the great national conflict of 30
years ago present no Indictment, under
stand, against the American people, for the
majority of them are stronger at heart, but
they are not alive to the bribery that sur
rounds them. There are enough purchasable'
| L.. Ia 0k-AN a. Ia1sl
national election. The corruption will
not stop un til, like the atmosphere in mires
containing deadly malaria, it will rise up
and envelope every department of our Gov
ernment.
employees VOTED AS SLAVES.
"We have many employers in this coun-
try who, to large extent, control the destinies
of their workingmen, who depend upon them
for subsistence. A suggestion is an i'm
perative demand. Many of them do not use
this power but some do, ..and without con-
science in instances of great party necessity.
The thing o: greatest Importance
in our ballot system is that it
should be secret. Now it is not
secret. Our forefathers decided many years
ago that the secret was better than the viva
voce method of voting, and they thought
they had left us a pure and secret ballot.
The best way to preserve the freedom of the
ballot is to make it secret.
when the English statesmen saw that
they must have a free ballot, they turned to
America for an example, but found that our
system was transparent sham. The theory
of government is that Public Office is pub
lie trust;' and if so, the Government should
furnish the necessary election expenses of
candidates and campaigns. To allow the
candidate furnish his own tickets is on the
same principle as allowing him the control
of the ballot box and the election.
OPPORTUNITY AND MEANS.
"The Australian system gives the citizen
freedom leaves him In secret with no eyes
upon him except those of his Maker, and
none to dictate, except his own conscience.
We are liable to think more of
the almighty dollar than our honor.
I think that all evil should be fought
from moral standpoint. The system takes
away both the opportunity and the means
for fraud. Those who care nothing Tor their
vote except its pecunIary value, will stay
away and not contaminate the air with their
detestable presence. The man of limited
means could afford to run for Office under
this system.
"Itisa known fact that many a candidate
of either party has had to pay more or as
much as the amount of his salary to be
elected. He must either be man
of means or else depend upon some
other than honorable means to secure
reimbursement. The free worker will be
done away with by the poll worker. do
not mean the enthusiastic partisan who
works fairly for his party principles, but
the man who is the heeler, hired to buy,
bulldoze or betray the voters.
THE MACHINE WOULD DIE.
"When the ballot is made secret this class
of men will no longer find business at the
polls. The party machine will be destroyed.
I am myself an enthusiastic and offensive
partisan and believe every citizen should be
in the interest of the party of his choice,
but do not believe in following the ring
formed for the purpose of the aggrandize-
ment of any one individual by unfair
means"
Here Mr.. Sexton recited the points of the
bill passed by the New York State Legisla-
ture at its last session.
''There seems" he continued, "to be an
impression that the measure is very COM
plicated. In one sense it is; in another it is
not. Some make q complaint of the
cost to be added by the new law,
but in so grave a matter that is
the smallest of considerations. There are
two provisions which we were compelled to
accept and which now we regard with un-
easiness. The ballots that we have are
great deal inferior to the blanket ballot.
The other objection is the poster ballot
THE w0RK JTrsT RFGUE.