The Denison review., 1899-06-16
BURNING the BALLOTS.

BURNING THE BALLOTS.
On Wednesday afternoon commits
tee consisting of MT. Frank Faul and
F. w. Meyers, had big bonfire back
of the court house in which the ballots
cast at last falls election formed the
'spiece de resistance The hallots
we're burned in the presence Of-County
Auditor Carey and Hon James Sheri-
dan, both of whom assisted with kero-
sene and pitch forks.
1t took nearly two hours to destroy
the will of the people. The editor of
the REVIEW had by far the best of it as
he had the satisfaction of burning
whole lot more democratic ballots than
t elwere republican votes for the ed
itor of Der Demokrat to burn.
One could not help but think when
gazing at the blazing pile, how much
and how little these Individual votes
had meant. Some were ''tirst votes"
cast by young men who for the first
time exercised the right Of citizenship.
How much those ballots meant to them.
We hope they were cast after thought
and care, not lightly thrown
through prejudice or the mere momen-
tum of heredity. Some were cast by
old men, now grown grey in the service
of their country, their party or their
prejudices. Some were ''last ballots"
and the hands that cast them now lie
cold in death. They are the only ones
who absolutely know whether they
voted right or wrong.
Some were scratched ballots, some
scratched through friendship, some
through favor and some through re-
venge. That lurking desire 10 be re-
venged through the ballot for some
grievance real or fancied, is strong
factor in American politics. Every
ballot had it had tongue could have
told tale of human passions or hero
isms or frailties. In one of the punches
there lay prohibition vote. We could
not but feel that after all it had but lit
tie place among the others. 1t was
neither fish nor fowl. Its effect was
lighter than the paper on which it was
printed. 1t was in the election but moi
of it. Perhaps it lightened someone's
conscience, perhaps it made someone
feel that they were a little better thar
the rest of us and if it did it probably
served its purpose. At any rate tn,
ballots are burned, the law has beer
carried out to the satisfaction of Coun
ty Auditor Carey and Hon. James Sher
idan and the price of years subscrip
tion has found brief resting place il
the purse of the editors wife.
Mr.. G. c. Colclo has retired from tn
firm of Powers & Colclo. publishers o
the Carroll Sentinel. Speaking of hi
retirement the Herald says:
"The retirement OF G. G. Colclo fron
the Sentinel will not necessitate his re
y moval from Carroll, for he was ther
when the town started and we doubt
J. he will ever leave the town. He wi
nos be in hurry to get into business
though he will. in due time, invest i
something to his liking. In this cor
nectiOn we can not refrain from notiD
9 the fact that he has some elements q
y strength that peculiarly fit him for th
s newspaper business. Besides being
good writer, he has faculty of mar
n aging people which is rare. 1t matter
not that they differ with him in th
most radical manner, or that they II
Z. solve to fight him to the bitter end, b
has the faculty of squaring things an
q smoothing over rough places in a wa
to hold his grip on his following.
this respect he far surpasses Mike Mi
l. Ter, because his settlements of troubl
are more substantial and enduring
9 We hope that he will soon find cor
genial business to engage his time an
that his lines will continue to be cast j
pleasant places.'