The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-14
John Wanamaker Denounces Re-
publican Methods.
VOTERS ARE INUNDATED
SEVERE ATTACHMENT OF THE
POLITICAL BOSSES.
He Declares That There Has Not
Been An Honest Election In
Philadelphia For Many Years
The Democratic Party Is Even
Controlled By Republican Machine

New York, Nov. 13.-The World will
publish tomorrow the following state
ment from John Wanamaker, dated
Philadelphia. Nov. Is:
The recent revelations of corruption
in the conduct of elections in Philadl-
phia ought to deeply impress thought
ful citizens the entire country over of
| the urgent necessity for ballot reform.
BY ballot reform ] mean such legal
enactment and regulations as will, first
make ballot absolutely secret, and
, therefore absolutely free and, second.
such devices, whether mechanical or
otherwise. as will make a true ac-
count and return of the votes legally
cast as near as may be an absolute
certainty. This, it seems to me, is the
| desideratum of modern politics in this
country.
Political freedom and equality are
secured by constitutional and statu-
tory enactments and the only thing
needful is an. electoral system which
will enable the free men of the country
to cast their votes without intimida-
ton or coercion and to have their will
thus freely expressed, honestly re-
corded and returned.
Corruption In Philadelphia.
In Philadelphia we have not had
an honest election for many years and
the debauchery of the ballot has ac-
quired the system and precision of a
science with the dominant so-called
Republican machine. This has not
been the growth of day or a year,
but has been perfected by a steady.
systematic development of the most
minute details of original ingenuity.
The machine has educated its follow
ers in election crime, rewarded them
according to their perfection in fraudu-
lent arts and extolled and honored the
leadership which best knew how TO
devise and avail itself of corrupt pr-oc-
tees and protect and promote its de-
bauched tools and disciples.
''Of course it would have been i'm
possible but for the dominent machine
in this city, to have so thoroughly sub
ordinated the electoral system to its
dishonest uses. had there been a min
ority organization of even ordinary
honesty and competency. But there is
no such minority organization in this
city. What is called the Democratic
organization is but an agency of the
corrupt Republican machine. As a re-
suit the Democratic vote has shrunk
more than two-thirds because honest
Democrats declined to follow the lead
ership which treats the party organi-
cation as an article of merchandise
anu iilcil IDS -liD vi Pul pOSc III
politics other than its own sordid
gains.
Machines Against Reform.
'All the machines are against ballot !
reform, for the machine cannot live
and thrive a day if the people, the |
honest masses, whose hearts are right |
can ever obey an. opportunity TO ex-
press their condemnation freely and |
have it honestly returned and recog- |
niZed. Ballot reform, therefore. J
place first on the list of political needs |
Of the hour. and in Pennsylvania it is /
the issue which overshadows all others
in its deep Importance and far-reach-
ing effects.
Republican government does not
exist in this state. because while we
have Republican forms we have no
adequate method for their ultimate ex-
preston in a secret, free and pure
ballot, guarded and conserved by de
vices competent to insure the purity
and protect it from dishonest perver-
'ions at the hands of corrupt political
power"