The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1900-10-20
rHE VALUE on THE FRANcHIsE

"But the question is, can we bring o
ont the farmer vote that we have won! b
Rain on election day will probably de- \
feat Mckinley in Indiana. 1t is sure to i,
be that close. A sick hog will keep
one farmer from the polls, and hun
dred sick hogs may give the state to
Bryan"
The above paragraph has gone {
the rounds of the Democratic press
during the past few days, pur-
porting to lie a Republican admls-
sion of the situation in Indiana.
With its truthfulness or accuracy
we have no concern; it is only up
on the statement that "a sick hog
will keep one farmer from the
polls'' that we W ould comment.
Whether an admission, as
claimed, or manufactured for cam
paign purposes, this much Of the
proposition, as bare statement OF
fact, is as true as boil, writ. And
upon its truth the gentlemen who
tour the country, preaching the
sacred right of the ballot and
indulging in windy claptrap about
the ''precions heritage beqneathed
to us by the fathers" and such
similar nonsense, might ponder to
good purpose.
1t is probably not a pleasing re-
Election that the electoral vote OF O
great state, and hence, perchance,
the presidency Of these United
States, might be determined b,
the state of health in which a few
beggarly swine found themselves
on election day; yet such is tn
humiIatlng truth. The question
arises, just what value does tn
average American. citizen reall.
place upon his voting privilege
This is difficult to answer. Meas
ured by the trouble to which ne
willing to go for the sake Of vol
ING. and the trivialities which b
permits to keep him away fro'
the polls, and the regularity wit
which he exercises the prlvileg
the only true tests, the actual
far below the estimated value,
given Us BY politicians and new
papers. And this is true throug
out the country.
It is a common charge agar
the South that large per centa
Of her vote ls suppressed !
correct explanation Of the SIN
vote usually exhibited by
Southern states is to be found
the Indifference felt towards ell
tons by the majority OF our Y
ing population. Take Mississ
pi's ordinary vote for govern
for instances. certainly not VI
flattcring showing. This apa
is certainly largely attributable
the fact that there is, practica
but one PARTY in the South;
even the excitement of prlm
fails to poll a full vote. 1t is
torious, too, that the same Co
,ions largely exist in many No
ern and Eastern states. Pu
attention rs not focused u
them quite as much as upon
South, hence their shortcom
are not SO loudly heralded abr
Years ago, Henry Grady rel
to this charge, when he she
the god people OF Boston
their own state, in an election
held. had cast only 40 per Ger
her vote as against Virginia
per cent. in the same election
the franchise is a privileg'
s.lear'' and as ''sacred" an
..cherlshed'' as the average 81
orator and political news
would have the country bel
why the necessity for the
mons efforts put forth every
years 10 get its exercise il
most important election we
If nil they tell us is true, why
that the defeated party, after
national election. charges the
chase OF vast quantities OF
..suereds commodity, sold n
sariIy by It's own friendss
The truth is that hundre'
thousands Of American cit
care precious little about
.pteclous privilege, = except
mere abstract proposition;
Is. not uiIlino 20