The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-10-27

The e. Silver Candidates Elected
Regardless of Party Name~-Frauds in
neutrality-suspicious. Efforts to
Change Votes on the Day of Election
by Use of Money, Campaign Lies and
Playing On the Prejudices of the Igno-
rant and Vicious--SiIver Men Watch
all Election OHcers---Non. Partisan
Judges--Railroad influence.
! BY W. J PEELE.
In every Office which can touch silver
by the exercise OF it's legitimate func-
tione the people will be sure to elect
the best silver man in sight, if 1 have
CORRECTLY gaUged the strength and
depth OF financial reform.
hear that Populists who are run
ming for State and county cfi;es are
weak enough to suppose thai in order
to get Republican votes they must RI
p~ublicaniz9 Themselves or lean up 80
close to that party that they will never
stand alone without it's aid, comfort
and support. Herein lies the real dan
ger 10 eIecting the best silver candi-
dates now before the people. PartisaDs
will vote according to the dictates Of
their party bosses, fools will vote as
their prejudices and passions are
sWayed by those who are skilful
enough 81 play III them, but independ
ent men will vote according to the die
tetes OF their own cOnsciences, and to
1 tho hHGS T.NfawCOE IF %h0 C%C%z cd NJ
tiop. They will not sell their votes,
nor will they allow them 80 DO traded
away by party bosses or committee
men. T0oy regard themselves as jurors
sworn TO try the political issues now
before the people according to their
best interest. They Will carefully
watch and weigh the interest Of ell
those who are advising them how they
ought vote. If a candidate seeking
their votes is interested to sell out Mr..
Bryan or any other candidate who
stands with MIN, they will govern
themselves accordingly. This IS the
year for 8pIittjy g tickets and for indie
pendent v0ting 1t is the will of heaven
that the old party machines, and the
new ones too, shall be broken up, that
the people shall not DO manipulated
any longer by machines.
Tho people have found cut that what
politicians call & ''straigh5 ticket" is
really the most crooked and devious OF
al tickets. This year they hate a
straight ticket almost as much as they
DO q stra ght j 'cket. Straight ticket
voting has brought us to what We are
at now. Sixty thousand split tickets
will be voted this election in North
Carolina, and probably one hundred
thousand. straight tickets" and ma
chine politics" are the twia devils
which dance attendance on our Nation
al decline. A ''straight ticket" often
means a ticket which has been prepared
for you by your boss. Vote your own
judgment or you are unfit to vote.
The great historian, McCauIey, says
the floating vote" is the salvation Of
free institutions. This is the vote that
floats" from inc good candidate to
another. This is the vote which can
not be counted on by bosses. This is
the vote which votes its own convic-
tions and cannot be sold out nor traded
away.
Watch cut for election frauds on the
day OF election-for purchasing, steal
ing and fraudulent voting. No honest
election cficer objects to being watched.
He will be delighted at it because he
knows that the dishonest will be
watched by the same eyes. l hear that
there is more money at command to
corrupt North Carolina politics than
was yer seen here before. Fight the
side and the candidate that is using the
money. There is said to be a large
number Of illegal voters on the regis
tration books. Voting is a sacred
privilege and convicts and felons ere
not entitled to it. Guard this privilege
with care and see Tin a lawful way
that none but legal voters vote. Every
man entitled to vote can prove it by
satisfactory eUideHce-the burden OF
proof being on the voter-and all cleo
ton officers Of bad character, Or nc
character, ought to be published SC
they can be watched with the greatest
care. Partisans have control Of the
ballot boxes, but the independent ele
ments ought to look out for fair dealing
all round.
We think that Bryan will carry
North Carolina by at least twenty-five
thousand votes, but don't trust any.