The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1890-02-28
The Australian Innovation.

For The Egis
While it is quite possible that the Australian
election law might prove, i'll some respects, a
good thing for u.s. the amount of clamor raised for
its immediate adoption as a sure and sovereign
remedy for az our eieebGn woes Oy t96se Who as
working of its complicated machinery, can only be
characterized as a phenomenal craze.
There have been many objections urged against
the law-sOme valid and some frivolous. With all
its boosted safe guards against undue influence
over the voter, which is the main thing to be con-
sidered one way, at least, is left open to intmi-
dation, which alone is suffcient-in view of the
comprehensive claims made by the advocates of the
law-to brand the whole thing as fraud. They
boast that, among other advantages, it will pre-
clude the possibility of the employer influencing
his wOrkmen. Now that is just what it will not do.
To prove this claim delusion and a snare, let us
suppose tnat a manufacturer has in his employ any
number of workmen, from ten to one thousand,
comfortably domiciled with their families, on his
premises; that he has decided political opinions,
and that the workmen know what those opinions
are-Or if they do not already know, let us suppose
that, a few days before the election, he merely
hints to them Off you choose, with all the childike
and bland manner of the heather Chinee y that he
tariff candidate. That could hardly be made an
iudictabe offence. On election day they enter the
fers) and their employer knows nothing at all that
takes place in that inner sanctuary. Nor need he
care to know. He may not have seen them at all
during the day of election, and he may not see
them for several days afterwards. In due course
of time, however here comes his factory rounder,
gently to each in turn, that he would be pleased to
Know whether or not they had voted for A? OF
course they all know this fellows true inwardness'
and are only too keenly aware Of his motive for
asking and of the use to be made of their several
replies. II some of them say they voted for A,
whether true or not, matters between them and
they did not SO vote, their services-after few
weeks delay, for appearance sake-are no longer
needed-they and their families are virtually eyct
ed TO make room for others. IL any refuse to
answer the inference is fair that their votes also
were cast against their EMPLOYERS interest, and
Now with this hard experience how can these
men be said to be free to vote as they please at any
Australian plan? But this Is by no means the
worst part of the business. Those who acknowledge
ed that they did not vote for A as well as those
course, honest men, and they pay the kind OF
penalty usually exacted by tyrants from contuma
cious honesty Those who said they voted for A may
or may not be honest If they did not so vote they
lied outright oyerreached the tyrant as he deserV
ed and got their reward If they did so vote agains
their political principles and against what they
thought right merely to keep their places
they were corrupt, and reaped the reward OF cor
rTcfiou; but if they so voted in accordance will
their principles. they were really honest voters
though they made no sacrifice, for they retained
their places.
employers exercise this species of intimidation
The question is. do they have it in their power Il
exercise it? If so, it goes without saying-humal
nature being as it is-that many of them will avail
themselves of the power.
Thus we see that all honest men who vote agains
their employers interests may be summarily de
priyed OF a livelihood with perfect impunity on hi
mart and that all who are capable OF lying, or o
ceiling their votes, hold on to their places. IL
other words the honest are the ones who suffer
tie corrupt the ones who are rewarded. Thi
leaves the matter-as between employer and work
men-very much as twas before the Australian
contraption was invented. And what a vast iiel
It leaves open for corruption and bull-dozng. II
in fact affects by far the greater part of the voter
of the country-al employees, numbering millions
And vet those fayoring the law with such unseen
ly clamor declare that it effectuay protects tn
Workmen merely by virtue of the secret ballC
which IT enables him to cast. The voting, to b
sure Is secret for the time-but that is all. ia
as the honest voter is concerned. for his emplOye
may the very next moment utilize his honesty
extort the secret whose disclosure deprives hil
OF a home, while the corrupt voter casts his ballot
secret lies to hide it. and prOsperS.
am free to admit that there are a few worlme
though l fear, very few. indeed-who have spir
enough to resent at once such queries tpropOunt
ed with similar motive) from their employer, G
his obsequious laekey, by knocking them down o
the spot Ind would to God if there were man
more of the same sort But the number of sue
being very small, the bull-doZer can well afford
give them wide berth, which he generally take
good care to DO.
Elm blocks of fve.'' as well as repeaters and col
nists who are paid to repeat and COLOMBO, an
simuly because the Driber has no means OF asce
tanning either at the time or afterwards, for who
thew vote since men who would sell their vot
would also lie.
In fact these classes are about all whom it do
protect So that we are called upon to hurrah al
90 into raptures over a law which secures only u
rights of scoundrelss who II justice could De don