The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1894-08-23
ABOUT FREQUENT ELECTIONS

On the eighth day of November,
1892, while the ballots were being cast
at every voting precinct in the State,
and long before We had any means Of
even guessing what the result would
be. we wrote for the columns of this
paper the following article, which was
printed two days after, and which we
reproduce now because we believe now
what we believed then.
We wrote as follows:
THE DEMOCRAT has for a long time
been convinced that for many reasons
the elections in this country are too
frequent. While we write, at least
twelve millions of freemen are around
the polls at the various precincts in the
sstes casting their votes, exercising
their prerOgatlves as kings and awaiting
:hc result We write before the result
can be more than guessed at and all
guessing may prove wrong. We have
lahOred for democratic success. we have
cast our vote for soild democracy and
we confidently expect to hear within
the next tHentv-four hours that tlie
democrats throughout most Of the
country have swept in on tidal wave.
Bat whether the democrats win or
whether The republicans win, THE
DEMOCRAT declares its purpose now
willie men are still casting their votes
to advocate change of elections
We believe that it Will be for the best
interest Of the country, regardless OF
what political party may be in power
that the time Of elections be changed
10 country in the world can bear up
and prosper under the great strain that
our frequent elections entail upon us
This will be apparent from several
l. 1t is an enormous expense.
,. 1t is demoralizing in many re-
spects
8. The life and happiness of many
people are endangered.
As to the expense We believe that
a very conservative estimate of the
election this day held throughout the
United States would put it at several
hundred millions Of dollars.
This will be clear when we take into
consideration the time that has been
lost during the past ninety days by the
masses Of the people attending public
gatherings and listening to speakers,
In addition to the loss OF time Of the
speakers themselves, their travelling
expenses from place to place and the
vast amount Of food wasted at barbe-
| cues picnics, dinners, &c. Then add
the millions of dollars spent as cam
palgn and corruption funds and what
ever else that has swelled the enormous
sum and we believe that it will reach
hundreds of millions of dollars.
full With our frequent elections,
national once every four years, congress
slOnal and state and county every two
years, the people Of the country are
excited and demoralized half the time
so that business of every kind is neg
lected, and consequently the wheels OF
progress stayed. The farmer finds
himself neglecting his fields and his
barn-yards to keep posted on the next
probable turn Of the political table
the professional man finds himself
giving too much time to other topics
and subjects than his profession
because he feels that his duty as a gooC
citizen demands that he should kee,
posted on the current political events
the merchant finds his business more
or less crippled by reason of absorbing
political questions; the manufacturer
suffers in a similar way. And so the
whole field of human enterprise i.
blighted by the demoralizing effect 0
a political campaign.
Then the danger to the life and hap
piness of the people is great Many ;
home IN this land has been made DIES
Olate by reason of the death of some
father, son, brother Or husband caused
by some political broil or election riot
The happiness Of the people depend
upon their undisturbed condition anC
SO the more they are disturbed, and b,
whatever cause, the less happy ano
contented are they.
For these reasons and many others
The DEMOCRAT will declare for les
frequent elections. From time to time
we shall give our opinion on the sub
Jects, as to how often the election:
ought to be held for the differen
departments of the government. county
state and national.