The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-04-03
The Men You Vote For,

Ep1Tons INrELL1aENCER: We have the
right as free people to vote, and no one
man shall say who we vote for. are
not free if we have to join any party to get
To yote. A voter should know something
more OF q man than the party be belongs
to. The mere endorsement of the party
leader is not enough, and the fact that the
public clsmar is In his favor ebould not
satisfy. Is be the man for the plact7 VIII
he be a benefit or an injury to the country?
Are his morals clean and pure? Do those
who know him speak Of him with respect?
Has he good, fair business RECORD? The
man who fails in bis own concerns, is little
likely to add to the prosperity of the nation
What he did before his candidacy, did he
do it well? II he was lawyer. was be
good lawyer? 1fa physician, was he good
physician? Ifhe is tailor, ask those who
wore the clothes he made whether his
button holes were strong? 1t is one OF the
curious phases Of our politics. that man
who rarely attends Church himself, who
indeed has no connection with any brancn
OF Gods Zion, is quick to rememb Der that
his father. or grandfather. or hiu mother,
was good Methodist or Baptist, or some
thing of the kind, when he seeks the SUI.
frapes of his fellow-citizsns. That is not
enough. We bslieve that man, to be
good patriot and to understand fully bis
duty to his country must fr:t know and
perform his duty to his God. He can do
go. not merely by being Church member,
but by living as q true man. to live with
ont feproach among his neighbora. We
hear the cry on every haud, that good
men cannot go in, politic.; that they are
40 low and vile tba. only the brazsn and
tricky, Who c,n bear the criticism OF the
press with uub!ushing brow. can live IN
public places. America Ia full Of good,
true and able men, mon who would hold
it high honor to servo their native land,
had they only the opportunity; but they
are deferred from attempting it, by the
olamor of the coarse. The Churches should
stand by such men. Should back them.
vote for them, aid them in every way, and
teach the FOUNDERS OF the time that good
men are not fools, that they reverence the
rood in mon and in politics, and that they
will have nothing to do with the party or
the man that is not clean. II the religious
men of the land did this, many knave
that now fattens at the public expense,
would become mere starVeling In the
garret. II you want clean politics, you
can have it by putting up clean men and
stanGipp by them. Patriotism should be
form OF conscience with you. as scrupu.
lous of political 40 Of personal dishonor.
When an unworthy person is elected to
Office, be not only looks upon his election
as an endorsement to his fitness for the
Office. but Of his character as o man. II
YOU object to him he can turn to you with
4 smile, and pointing to bis majority, say
1.-THE voice Of the people Is the voice OF
God" What cutting humbug this 10.
60 into low groggery, or what Is called
q barrel shop and you will see men there
whose sole aim in life seems to be to sit on
barrels, chew tobacco and spit into square
box filled with saw dust about ten feet
distant. varying the occupation by drink
ing harsh whiskey that to an ordinary
throat would seem like swallowing cir
cular saw aud drawing it up again. They
all have diplomas OF the rum chop, and
they are we'll read, Il mean as to the nose);
only these men, Once-a-year men, vote
for the man who treats them, and he turns
round and tells you that the voice OF the
people IN the voice of God. Too often the
voice of the people is the voice of the devil,
and not whisper OF God il heard. Tho
man who votes for o candidate merely be-
cause he belongs to bis party is as little
patriot as the man who votes for another
because he is his friend. The patriot is
above party and would rather be alone in
the right than to be with million In the
wrong. Brides cannot corrupt him, forco
cannot coarse him; honor il the main
spring of his action and good government
the highest goal of bis desire, BE may be
a party man, but that will not prevent
him from making the closest inquiries con.
cernipg the man who seeks Office.
ToWNvILLE