Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-11-03

enable the people to vote intelligently. 1
submit it might be bad for some of us. 1t
might, perhaps. endanger the return of
some of us to the legislature" Under
republican rule" there is certainly
successful government" from his
STANDPOINT, for Lytle, in recognition Of
his unwavering subserviency to the
machlne, has since been made by Pres
1dent Mckinley Naval Officer at the
Fort of Philadelphia. He is a smooth,
sleek, plausible fellow, and has about
as much respect for public opinion as
Fejee Islander.
H. A. Coray, of Luzerne, Republi-
can, said the Baker ballot law was a
fa1lure, so far as protecting the voters
was concerned. In his county, he ad-
ded, men were paid to act as helpers
and stood around the polls until they
had marked 40 or so ballots.
Foster, Democrat, of Centre said his
constituency were not in favor of the
law as it stands, being satisfied, after
recent contests, that it was defective
and are ready for any change that will
improve it.
Gould. Republican, of Erie, said: 1.-THE
present ballot law is not an aid to
voters, and the machine politicians
have got hold of the blanket ballot to-
day, and can move up their phalanxes
to vote just as they ever did"
Roger, Republican, of Philadelphia,
said: THE system proposed by this
bill is in vogue in Massachusetts, and
is a Republican system. Within
my own experience at the election last
November QS96) 1 observed the most
fiagrant violations of the law, and yet
l had to stand mute.''
Here Focht, of Union, one of the
most blatant and unblushing of the
machine tools in the body, interrupted
and asked Roger If he did not vote for
Crow, the Citizens candidate for sher-
iff of Philadelphia, the imputaton being
that no man who would in the least
degree protest against Republican ma
chine edicts could be honorable and
straightforward.
Roger replied hotly in the affirmative,
end added that Crow would have been
the regular Republican nominee but
for police interference (under orders
from Boss Martin Cat the convention
Il stand," continued Roger "for Re
publican priciples and not for corrup-
ton or Doodle, and that is why / am
standing here. God only knows
that every reform that has come to the
city of Philadelphia has come from the
rural portion of the house."
r. j. Baldwin, of Delaware, another
| of the men who never refuses prompt
and joyful compliance with whatever
may be the orders of the machine,
said that 1t is "all buncombe to come
up here and prate about reform"
Mr.. Keator showed that the Baker
law as 1t stands is not the Australian
system, as it is called but that his
! amendment would make it practically
that. He showed further that the tick
ct provided for in his bill would lessen
the cost of printing from 60 to rs per
! cent-the bill is now an enormous one
| that it was necessary to insure q
| secret ballot, that it would encourage
honest voting, and that it was in no
sense partisan; but all to no use Or
ders had been promulgated that the bill
must not pass, and 1t did not pass
We can never have a free ballot and
| fair count in Pennsylvania so long
as the present Republican organization
makes and administers the laws for
the state and the larger of its cities.
The Republican party is the party of
the corporations. 1t is managed upon
the presumption that the chief purpose
of law is to enable a few to live hand
somely by bleeding the many These
few share their gain with the party
Hence comes the corruption funds. And
with the funds comes the disposition to
make the laws and practices so that
they are assured of the full money's
worth in the way of votes. But by
electing Mr.. jerks governor and elect
ing majority of the members of the
1egisature-both of which results are
easily possible this year-we can check
mate their game. We can compel the
repeal of the most inquitous of exist
ing laws and set in motion force that
VIII be certain ultimately to purify our
| politics, make our elections less of a
farce than they have of recent years
come to be, and our state and munich
pal governments to serve the needs and
interests of the many.