The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-08
THE BALLOT AND IT'S USE
NUDGE KOONs POINTS OUT SOME PER-
lis OF THE present TIME.
An Earnest Plea IN Behalf of Purity
and Intelligence in Exercising
the Right of Suffrage.

ciety of that city, which is published at the
request Of the society. Judge Rooms said:
Mrs. President, Ladies and Gentlemen:
from the dawn Of civilization, the struggle
has been for liberty, and universal liberty
mas been the dream Of the humanitaT1ans
or an ages It has been the philosophers
meme poets have sung It's praises, and seers
nave prOphesied its coming. and the good of
all ages have prayed for the ddwning of the
happy day. A little more than l2p years
ago, cur fathers founded this Republic, on
the principle Of liberty and equality among
men and proclaimed to the world the fun
oamental truth upon which our Republic
Stands, 'tndt governments derive their just
powers from the consent of the governed
that governments should exist for the peo-
pie, and not the people for governments.
They declared that ali men are created free
and equal and are endowed with certain
1nalenable rights, among which are life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness" They
consecrated their lives to that doctrine and
sealed IL with their blood. On that doc
liihe lhey founded republic, not an en-
pire. and that doctrine is the glory of the
Republic. Kings and emperors and princes
and potentateS, and the reputed wise in
statecraft of the old world predicted its
failure. Tyrants trembled. The Republic
grew and spread from the Atlantic to the
Pacific, and from the lakes to the gulf and
has stood the test for ~ years. True it
had within its borders the accursed insti-
tuition of human slavery based upon the
Soioi ~ ne SKIN put ~ the same IIne IL
had within its borders that spirit of liberty
which gave it the first breath Of life, and
was destined TO and, when the hour was ripe,
old uproOt and tear out the cancerous
growth and destroy il root and branch. The
naLeIul, monStrous blot had to be washed
away with the blood of patriots The Re
public has grown to q nation of seventy
five million Of freemen the richest and most
prosperous nation in the world. From
the very beginning it has been a constant
struggle TO maintain this vital principle of
the Nations life, and at no time in the his
tory of the Republic have the people been
more torctby reminded that eternal vigil
lance Is the price of liberty than at the
present. Powerful monopoles, trusts and
combines, and enormous aggregations of
wealth, threaten the very existence of the
hepublc and are fast reducing the individual
10 mere part of the vast machinery by
which everything is done, with no more in
dependence than the little part of a ma
crushing out his individuality and manhood.
Soulless corporations, trusts and combines
people What should be done? Shut our
eyes to the danger and lose ourselves in adj
mtratIon of the dazzling wealth and power of
me Nations! Shall we lie supiney down and
mug the deluSiVe phantom of hope" till
We are bound hand and foot? Or shall we
IaIleF dcqult ourselves IKE men ana prove
ourselves worthy descendants of the found
ers of the Republic? Our duty is plain. 1t
Is 10 create an atmosphere that is deadly
poison to monOpolies of every kind, a single
breath OF which will prove fatal, from
Maine to California and from the lakes TO
the gulf; an atmosphere deadly and fatal
TO everything but honest dealing and legiti-
mate enterprise. The hand Of the national
Congress, the hand of every State Legisla-
ture and of every legislative body the hand
of every executive officer, from President to
from the judge of the United States Su-
preme Court to justice of the peace, should
he constantly raised TO instantly strike down
any monopoly the moment 1t attempts to
raise it's ugly head. In other words it should
be outlawed as is treason and murder and
other heinous crimes. How can this be
brought about? By hugging close to the
Republic and the doctrines and principles
upon which it was founded, and vitalizing
these doctrines and principles with the en-
ergy and zeal of patriots and making them
living realities.
THE REMEDY FOR EVIL.
The people are supreme and, by the in
telIgent use of the ballot, can right every
wrong and correct every evil affecting the
body polite. They can fill every Office from
President to constable from the supreme
judge to justice of the peace, and from
congressman to city councilman with hon
est, capable, diligent, Industrious courage
Gus men and women who will make hon
est. wholesome and just laws, and who will
interpret and construe them in the spirit
in which they are made, and who will exc
cute them in the spirit in which they are
made, faithfully, capably, honestly, dill
gently and courageOusly. The ballot, in the
hands of intelligent freemen, If kept pure
and unsullied is al-powerful to preserve
the liberties of the people. Hence the most
pressing and important question for sou-
ton by the people to-day is how to main-
tain the purity of the ballot. The life of the
Republic depends upon it. The Importance
stnct OF every citizen. That the people are
awakening to the Importance of this ques-
ton is manifested from the many enact
ulents OF statute laws for the protection OF
ne ballot When one reads the statute law
OF Indiana on this subject, as it now stands,
i is marvellous that any citizen who claims
to love his State and respect its laws,
should, in any way, attempt to corrupt the
ballot. 1t IS almost incredible that any man
would attempt to secure nomination or
election to office by methods in any way
corrupt. For, the law stands, any
man who secures his nomination to an Of
nee at primary elecuon, even Dy hlflnS
workers to electioneer for him on election
day, II nominated, forfeits his nomination,
and II tnaliy elected is ineligible to the Of
flee and could be ousted from the Office at
any time when the same should be proven
against him IN proper proceeding. Not
only that, but by an act of the last Legis
lature II was made a felony, punishable by
imprisonment in the state prison, for a term
not less than year and not more than
1lNe years, ana a me not 10 exceed sou.
for any voter to sell or offer to sell his
vote, TO refrain from voting, or to offer to
refrain from voting, for money, thing of
value, promise of reward of any kinda
more Infamous crime than petit larceny.
punishable with "A severer penalty And
this statute applies to primary ele' ions, !
nominating conventions municipal cleo
lions, as well as to general elections Then
there is another statute which has been the
Jaw Tor many years, which provides that
any one who hires. commands, encourages, !
or in any way, directly or indirectly, pro-
cures another 10 commit a felony is an ac-
Cessory to the felony and equally guilty
with the principal and is amenable to the
same punishment and penalty provided for
the commission Of such felony. So that, !
under the law of Indiana, as 1t has been
since the sitting of the last Legislature, the
voter who, for money, whisky or anything
of value, or for any promise of reward. |
sells his vote, or offers to sell his vote. re-
Trains from voting, or offers TO refrain from
voting at any primary election. nominating
convention, municipal election or general |
election. and every man who hires. COM
mands encourages or in any way procures
him TO do so. are each and all guilty OF a
felony, and, If tried and convicted. would |
suffer the penalty Of Imprisonment in the
state prison for period of from one to
five years, and fine not to exceed 500. 1t
is made an infamous crime by statute. ana
# is marvellous that any one would be
guilty of its commission.
WHAT is NEEDED.
All crimes in Indiana are statutory and d.
vided into feones and misdeneanors. For
the most part felonies may be grouped under
three heads-crin9es against the State, rang
ing from treason down TO election bribery:
crimes against the person, ranging from
murder in the first degree down to assault
o. assault and battery with intent to commit
8 felony, and crimes against property, rang
ing from arson to burglary down to petit
larceny So il will be seen that the question
OF how 10 maintain the purity and sanctiry
OF the ballot has not entirely escaped the
attention of our laWr1a Epre and bac ,o+