The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-03-30
To Rid the State Of all Rascals.

Captain w. H. Harrison, better
known to his friends as Tip Harrison,
proposes a unique plan for elevating
the moral standard Of the community.
He wants to hold an election in every
county on the first of January Of each
year for the purpose Of deciding by
ballot who is the meanest man and the
most unconscionable scoundrel. On
the first of February the man receiving
the higest number Of votes is to be
hanged until he is dead, and as there
are l37 counties in Georgia, the State
would get rid of 1877 Of its worst char
acters every year. Mr.. Harrison pro-
poses to introduce woman's suffrage
in this contest, and women will be ell
igible for election.
The merits Of this innovation are
best described in Captain Harrison's
own language. He says:
"By holding such an election IN
every county once year, we could do
great deal to rid the State OF object
ionable characters and create healthy
condition OF public and private morals.
All kinds of meanness would be inclu-
ded, and men in all walks of life
would be eligible for election. The
tramp who steals dinner from another
tramp would have as good showing
as a bank-wrecker who robs the widow
Of her mite. | propose, also, that
women be made eligible and allowed
to vote. In that case, the tattling
busybodies and tale bearers who SOW
the seeds Of strife among their neigh
bors, would not be ignored. l have
no doubt that many Of the women
would vote for their husbands on per
sonal grounds, and as closed ballot
would be used, there would be full,
free. and wholesome expression OF
opinion.
tBy executing the rascal-elect we
would rapidly get rid of the worst ele-
ment of our population. Just before
the first of January every year there
would be big exodus. The rascals
would leave the State as frightened
rats fly from burning barn. In ad-
dition to that the complimentary vote
many would get could not but have
wholesome effect. Fellows who are
not living right or not treating their
neighbors right would receive timely
warning, and many downward career
would be checked before it got beyond
reformation.
stThe election would be fair beyond
any sort of cavil, and it wouldn' t take
an Australian ballot to make it so.
There wouldn't be any electioneerlng,
and there would not be any carralge
hired to convey voters to the polls:
The vote would be the free, unbiased
opinion Of the people as to the respec-
tive meannesses of those voted tor.
A very healthy moral tone would be
diffused through the community, and
many a man would be surprised and
put to thinking on his manner OF life.
The election would hold up to most
men the looking glass that the poet
Burns talks about, and it would be a
good medicine; heroic treatment but
none the less effective. 1t is we'll
known that public sentiment is more
powerful than the law, and the plan
proposed would apply to the reforma-
ttion of human nature the most power
full corrective influence that is known.
1t may be little in advance OF the
times, but the times are so badly out
of Joint that it is going to take some
such moral surgery to mend them.
''This idea was suggested to me
many years ago by very wise man,
and | have been keeping 1T until the
time should be ripe for its promulga-
tion. | think the idea has so much
merit that, once suggested, it will go
civilized country. Itmight be we'll to
experiment with it Il little before ac-
tually putting death penalty in force.
That would come eventually, but the
people would have to be educated up
to that point. The effect Of mere
expression of opinion would be so
great chat the public would soon see
the benefit of such system, and
would not be satisfied until it had
been carried to its logical conclusion
hone to live to see it tried. '--4Hnnf"