The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-02-16
TEMPERANCE NOTES.
= THE DRuNkARo VOTER.
Debasement of Citizenship Through tn,
lac of Iinnor.

AIOA -. lhCNOOh, III u
Der Of the Forum, prints an important
article upon venal voting, which in
cidentally contains interesting testi-
mony regarding the drink question.
The effect of intemperance upon the
welfare of the community, through the
exercise of the right of suffrage, has
not been considered Of much import
ance, but Prof. McCook points out the
fact that the venality of the intemper-
ate or drunken voter is already grave
menace to the state, and a danger
which is constantly increasing. He
announces himself as mot total alb
stainer either theoretically or practical
ly," and as having always voted in IA
vor of license, and this fact gives his
words additional weight when he says:
Anybody who can see must know that, con.
sidered merely as q question OF social economy,
OF dollars and cents, Of tax bills and public con-
venience generally, the drink question is the
question Of the day. The tariff wrangle Ii q
mere baby to It. II intelligent stcady-going
people could be induced 10 spend upon the drink
question q fraction of the time and money they
employ upon the other we might hope for some
real improvement in its treatment Prom.
intemperance In venality. simply because the
subject can not be tested at all without giving
shat prominence.
As the tables in Prof McCook's article
were not prepared with especial refer
encc to the development of this ques-
ton, II is somewhat difficult to get at
facts which can be stated briefly and
without laborious explanation, but II Is
plain that they strongly and completely
support the opinion quoted above. One
of these tables, however. in which the
venal voters are tabulated according to
their drinking habits, is instructive.
This shows that forty-four and four
tenths per cent. of the venal voters in q
certain city ward are ''drunkards and
hard drinkers" forty-six per cent. are
everyday drinkers but not drunk
ards" while only nine and six tenths
per cent are mot drinkers and not
shiftless."
Again, Prof McCook finds that in the
towns and city wards covered by his in
quiry, one hundred and thirteen out of
every thousand voters were venal; and
further, that out of every (assumed)
thousand of Incorporate voters, five
hundred and forty were venal; in every
thousand drunkards, seven hundred and
ninety were venal; and out of every
thousand voters known to have been ar
rested or imprisoned, chiefly for drunk
enness and its attendant crimes, seven
hundred and seventy-eight were venal.
The points given above by no means
exhaust the arguments against the
drink evil contained in Prof. McCook's
article, but illustrate in the strongest
manner the political dangers attending
intemperance, from the fact that the
drunkard is also a voter. Experience
teaches that a man who has consum-
ing thirst 70, strong drink is peculiarly
open to bribery and corruption. Once
thoroughly under control of such an
appetite he is no longer responsible, but
seems to have passed into a state of
physical and mental disintegration-a
sort Of moral dry-rot
In considering remedies for this evil
the first thought is that it is the duty
of the state to suppress the active agent
in this debasement-the grog-shop-as
a measure of self-protection. Not only
should this be, done on account of the
facts Indicated above, but also from
that other well-known fact, that the
saloons are skillfully used for the cor
ruption of voters and in the control of
elections. It thus becomes a duty in
cumbent upon all citizens to unite, re-
CARELESS of party affiliations, and to
work together for the stamping out of
the evil The question is above party,
and should be kept free from the faint
of partisanship. This has been done in
the local option campaigns in the Mas
sachusetts towns, with the best results.
The question concerns the life and
well being of the state, and as all citi-
zens unite to ward off visitation of
the cholera or to resist invasion by a
foreign foe, SO this question, which
Prof. McCook, justly pronounces 1.-The
question of the day." should be met by
an uprising of all patriotic citizens.
What measure of restriction will best
relieve the community of this venal,
drunken vote? Many students of polit-
ical economy advocate that the right of
suffrage be taken away from those who
persistently refuse to vote but here is
pressing and more dangerous evil, for
men debased and debauched arc bribed
into voting for candidates without a
thought of their fitness for Office, or the
slightest consideration for the princi-
pies involved in the canvass.
Would temporary deprivation OF the
right 70 vote be too severe punish
ment for the crime of drunkenness? 1t
would not be SO great punishment as
arrest and imprisonment are in many
cases, and would at the same time les
sen the danger arising from a mass of
venal drunkards whose purchasablc
votes often carry close elections At
least this punishment might be applied
to those arrested and imprisoned for
drunkenness or its attendant crimes,
without hardship. Some such remedy
seems to be needed. and, in fact, Prof
McCook in a later article in the same
magazine suggests something of this
nature among other possible remedies
Cor venal voting
Paupers are not allowed to vote in
some states. but many worse than pau
pers-vic;ous and even criminal-are
given that privilege. Habitual drunkards
should be treated as irresponsible, and