St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-10-19
THE DoUToRED BALLOTS.

the secretary of states proposed action,
because, under the constitution of Min
neSOta, 1t was none OF its business
whether he was right or wrong. A long
line of decisions from our appellate
bench has held that the judiciary has
no power to control an executive officer
in the discharge Of his duties. Any
other citizen who is about to violate the
law to the irremediable injury of his
fellows can be apprehended and re-
strained; but an executive officer can
do as he pleaseS, as far as the acts
which lie within the scope of his public
obligations are concerned, and be Su-
perior TO coercion or direction from
without.
Everybody WHO knows Judge BRILL
and Judge OTIs has the profoundest
confidence in their wisdom. their fair
ness, their courage and their learning;
and the conclusion at which they have
arrived is undoubtedly correct one.
The Democracy's counsel from the out
set recognized the existence Of this diff
Guilty in their path. They hoped that
they had discovered a distinction be-
tween their case and the cases in which
this issue had heretofore been raised
But their lack of faith III the likelihood
of success did not deter them from max
ing the effort. They felt, and now feel,
that several important objects would
thus he accomplished, no matter what
the result. The extraordinary def
ciences of the election law would be
emphasized. Public attention would be
called to the tyrannical and unjustifi-
able course of the secretary OF state.
And the people would be put on guard,
so that they might be prepared to use
efficiently the gerrymandered ballot
which is to be presented them at the
polls next month.
The Australian election law which
now obtains in tins state has deprived
the citizen of the right to prepare his
own ballot The state gives him his
ballot. and this IS the only one lie can
use. If he uses any other it will not be
counted. The act requires that the
names of the regularly nominated can
dldateS be printed on these official bal
lots before they are distributed. ana it
prescrbes certain order and method
signed to insure clearness and fair
ness. They are such as experience has
,shown'are the best calculated to facili-
tate the voter IN the honest expression
of his will. AS far as state officers are
concerned, the preparation of the Off
cial ballots is entrusted to the secretary
Of state. Under the ruling of the dis
| trict court rendered yesterday, it rests
entirely with him is to how these bal
lots shall be printed. He can refuse to
print them altogether, and there is no
power to coerce him. He can leave off
some Of the candidates names, as he
has this fall, and there is no remedy.
He himself happens to be running for
Office in the present campaign, and yet,
with cars authority, he is at liberty
to so shape things that his rivals can
not have even hearing at the polls.
The mere statement of these facts dis
closes the appalling dangers of the situa-
ton. They are mainly due to the lengths
to which our courts have gone in exempt
ing the executive from judicial control.
They have reached an extreme entirely
unsupported by the precedents of other
states. But the trainers of our election
law are also responsible for this cond-
ton of affairs. They have, in spite of
| the interpretations of the constitution
which make the interference of the
courts impossible, provided 10 machin-
cry to check or prevent arbitrary abuse
of power by the secretary OF state. They
have transferred the right of suffrage
Ia ia, -
lodged. to subordinate officer on a
small salary, to dictate and control, ac-
cording to his fancy. his caprice OF his
dishonest instincts. The Democracy,
always ready to serve the common
wealth, has played the patriots part in
giving the widest publicity to such ex-
traOrdinaly defects in the statute.
This service, however, is no greater
than another one il has performed. and
that is the light it has thrown OH FRED
ERICK p. BROWNS character. The his
tory of the world is full of examples of
men who, by chance or error, being
clothed with some brief authority, have
| employed it wickedly TO barass and op-
| press their fellows. 1t takes a person
| of some pretenSiOnS TO the lOftier quail
| ties of humanity to carry himself with
temperance and impartiality when he is
! placed in a position of responsibility
! and power. Under such circumstances
the decent show the stuff of which they
are made. The upright Judge leans
against the side to which his self-inter-
est urges him. But FREDERICK p.
Brown is not of this sort. He belongs
| to the class which is eXecrated by the
high-minded. lie is like the faitblesS
wife whose virtue vanisheS under temp
a ion. He had an opportunity to make
a name for himself 10y proving his SUI
periority to the demands of PARTISAN
ship in the discharge of his official
duties and by serving the whole people
( as he vowed to when he took his oath
I of Office. But his caliber was not equal
/ 10 the eXigency. lie has sold his repu-
taton for the bauble of factions APP
prevail. Such man is not fit to hold
| any honor in the gift of free and en-
! lightened people. WhOeve believes in
| fair play, no matter what his politics,
! shoald repudiate him at the polls.
The chances of confusion from the
! gerrymandered ballots are exceedingly
great. They do not obtain in the case
! of people who read newspapers. They
viii! be on the lookout, land will vote for
nine electors, although five only have
been grouped together on the ticket.
/ But with the illitcrate aud uneducated
it will be different. They will make
| mistakes. The Democracy by legal pro-
ceedingS has sought to spread abroad
the news of the ballots defects. The
GLOBE this morning prints anew the
arrangement of pre- sidential electors as
the secretary of state has fixed them.
Let everybody cut this out and study 1t.
Let him explain it to his friends and
| neighbors who cannot read, and give
them each copy to examine. Let
everybody carry it with him when he
goes 10 vote. If it is possible, we must
defeat the plot which has been entered