The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-11-29
ELECTION LAWS.
sam Jones Speaks for II Free Ballot
and n Fair Count.


For months this great country, both
I national and state, has been in the
agony of political excitement, and now
the election is over and soon the lcgis-
latures OF the various states not already
in session will convene. The candi-
dates begged and implored and con-
jured tho people for their votes. Now
In return what will the officials do for
the people? Every official owes debt
to his constituency that he can only
pay by the most faithful service, by
answering loyalty to right and princi-
pie, by the championship of all wise
and good measures, and by vigilant,
watchful care lest some bill or meas
ure which is not to the best interest
of the morals, peace and good order
of his community be not detected and
defeated. / cannot be charged with the
work of spite or opposition now TO any
candidate. Offices have been metcd out
from Mr.. Mckinley down to the little
constablcs. l shall not discuss men but
measures.
Every Legislature in every state In
this union ought to settle first and fore
most the question OF a decent, right
eous election law. The frauds of the
PAST ought never to be repeated in the
future. Unless by wise legislation and
faithful enforcement of law these
frauds and rascalities at the polls and
with the ballot boxes shall be stopped
there will be riots and bloodshcd, and
thousand people will be killed around
the polling precincts. A bad thing can
gro just SO far and no farther. | take the
position as an humble, private citizen
of this country that Nny man in the
legislature or out of the legislature is
in favor of a free ballot and fair
count and nobody but dishonest, dir
ty scoundrel would counteuance fraud
i'll politics or anywhere else, md he
who fights in the legislatures of this
country the adoption and passage of the
best possible election laws for his state
either got into the Legislative halls by
fraud and rascalty, or else he is afraid
he can't get back again without the use
of both at the polls. The Australian
ballot ought to be adopted 10y every
state in this union. There are less
chances for fraud when the Australian
ballot is used than any other method
with which / am acquainted. ] know
that some men calling themselves legis-
lators will say that it works hardships
upon the illitcrate; that it is not right
to disfranchsc man because he is
ignorant.
There are many things which don't
seem right to us, but they arc wise and
good. 1t does not lool, like it is a hard
ship for Il railroad to discharge an en-
eineer who has faithfully served the
company 90 or 30 years, and vet he can
not read and write. But that is done,
nevertheless. for the protection of the
travelling public and for the safest and
most efficient movement of trains. 1t
looks hard to discharge locomotive
engineer or conductor because they are
color blind, but nevertheless it is done
in the interest of the travelling public
and of the road which discharges them.
1t looks little hard to some women
that they cannot vote when they know
they have more sense. more morals and
moro education than half the gang who
run to the polls with their ballots
Tho greatest good to the greatest
number IS safe rule. sympathize with
the unfortunate, but love the honor o
my state and the pcrpetuity of it's noble
Institutions more than ] sympathize
with the fellow who has grown up in
n country where books were ten cents
apiece and kerosene oil ten cents a gal
Ion as ignorant ms n mule To corrupt
the ballot is to undermine the very
mud sills of our institutions. To stun
ballot or perpetrate election frauds is
the greatest crime a man can commit
against this country. It ought to be
made treason to buy or sell n vote, to
tamper with the ballot box or be guilty
of election frauds. 1t looks like politi- |
cans themselves would grow sick and
tired of the methods SO frequently used |
all over this country. I know there are
extremes to which we can 90. read |
the deliyeranccs of q man few DAYS |
ago who said that in the south we were |
constantly menaced with the color |
vote. He said the Anglo-Saxon race |
must stay on top, and there were three
ways in which to deal with the negro in |
politics. One was to move him out of |
TINS country, another to disfranchsc |
him, and the other TO kin him. / am |
sure we will never move the brother in |
black from the south. We had as well |
talk about moving the fertile plains of |
the west and rehabilitating the red |
nils and gully-wnshed fields of South |
carolina and Georgia with them. We |
cannot disfranchse him by any rule |
winch does not apply to the white man,
Nobody but a murderer wants to kill |
him The Australian ballot is the best
and the easiest solution of the trouble.
with the Australian ballot we can have
honest elections--maybe not altogether
honest, any more than we have full pro.
lection to life by the laws against muir
der and homicide; but we eliminate
from politics largely the ignorant that
cont Know and the rascals that can be
bought and sold like steers or mules in
the market LOT oil tba 1ac:.ln 49,.