St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-10-24

Mr.. Reyes Views.
! Ny attention has been called to the
controversy growing out of the action
OF the secretary of state of Mime
| sofa relative to the grouping of the
| president upon the official ballot. Hav.
| ing drafted the act, i was interested in
it measurably on that account, but be-
| You'd that, and more particularly, as a
| citizen, was L concerned with all others
| III the decision of the court upon the
! application made under the provisions
| of section 43 of the act in question.
| Perhaps it is not surprising, in view of
the several prior decisions of the SUI
Dreme court, that the learned Judges
arrived at the conclusion that the Judi
clal department had no authority to in
terfere IN any manner with the duties of
an executive officer, but, granting that
the court has correctly announced the
law as it exists, the fact that such is the
case. or may reasonably be supposed TO
be the case, is important. The section
OF the act referred to. and under which
The application was made. is net with
out precedent III several other iurisdic-
tons; but, aside from that. it was in
serted Tor the express purpose of giving
summary remedy against what was
foreSeen to be probable danger, and to
meet which there seemed to be no other
possible remedy. Perhaps now that
public opinion is aroused it may not be
out of place. in fact it would seem de-
cldedly in place. to discuss the question
publicly. and without any intention
whatsoever of rejecting upon the
learned court or the action of the
worthy secretary, wish to call atten-
ti0n to few pertinent facts, to the end
that the danger that exists may in the
filture be Ill some way avoided and the
integrity OF the ballot be preserved.
The Elective Franchise
No one who has given the matter the
slightest attention can fail to see that
the elective franchise beyond all other
rights and franchises cOnstitutionally
guaranteed lies at the foundation of
tree government; is the basis upo n
which all three branches of the govern
ment, legislative, executive and judi
clal, rest, and the inYioiability of which
alone make popular government posi-
BILE.
Now, and for long time, it has
seemed to many that the greatest real
danger, to democratic institutions Law IN
the possible subyersion of this fran
chise; and that such result might be
avoided it seemed essential that the
utmost care be taken that each elector
be secured the right, beyond all posi-
blllty Of defeat, of casting one uniuflu-
enced and indicated vote for each
person and measure he desired to sup
port, and to have his vote properly
counted as cast. AS to what Qualifica-
tons should be required of electors did
not enter into the account, but whoever
are declared to be qualified it was be-
lieyed should be protected in the eXer-
else of the rights l have enumerated. It
IS, perhaps, not strange that the found
erS of the government and the cOmpilerS
OF our state constitutions omitted to
provide, as they should have dene, for
this guarantee, for it may well he be-
lieyed that they relied upon individual
patriotism to defend itself against
wrongful encrOachment in this respect
but be that as it may, solicitation, pur-
chase, fraud and intimidation have,
! In the past. turned election day
| into farce, and the great state,
sOlicitous of the liberties of its citizens.
| has stood by and allowed them by the
| thousands to be denied the very right
| which lies at the foundation OF ali else.
| This had become so entrenched by habit
! that no heed was paid until it was found
that force, fraud and purchase elected
| governors. judges and legislators, and
| the government instead OF guaranteeing
to its every citizen his primary privilege
was itself born OF
The Subyersion and Denial
of that privilege. The methods by which
| all this was accomplished are familiar
and need no recital. Viewing the situa-
ton and casting about for remedy the
ofnclai or government ballot was hit
upon and called to public atten-
ton by Mr.. Rice. together with
the associated secret method of
marking the ballot. and it
was believed that law embodyine
these two features would go a long way
toward femedying that state of affairs
constantly growing worse. The central
feature OF the new system is the official
ballot furnished by the state itself and
| placed at the disposal of every voter
without distinction. Parties were rec
| ogniZed from practical necessity, but in
drafting the act it was made as mobile
and elastic as possible, and independent
candidates guaranteed opportunities SUI
periOr to what they ever had before.
and the independent voter assisted and
encouraged rather than the reverse.
| Now the integrity of this whole system
rests upon the integrity of the govern
| ment; becomes no more partisan af-
fair; and its proper execution rests
| apon the individuals or offieisls
whose duty it is made to properly pre-
| pare, print and distribute the official in
| struments. To insure the proper eXecu-