The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-05-10

The election law In Louisians,
like the one we are asked to vote
on In North Carolina, has not set
tied the trouble In Louisiana. It's
true 1t gave the Machine the recent
election and all they asked for, but
at the same time 1t gave the Law and
its supporters the most profound
contempt Of all honest citizens Of
that State. "Ring rule" IL proving
failure In that State at first pass.
We give some clippings from pa
pers In that State. Everybody there,
except the Machine. is sick of 1t.
1t will be 30 here, II the pure and
honest masses are fooled into sub
uniting to this "redshirt gang" and
voting for the present amendment.
The Daily Louisiana) Item says:
Before the political canvass,
which eliminated In Mr.. Boards
selection, had closed, leading Dem
ocrats, and among them Senator
McEnery himself, stated that the
election law now In force would do
for this election, but 1t must be re-
pealed and one more simple and
honest substituted. The truth is,
that when q constitution qualities
suffrage to the extent the Louisi-
ana Constitution does, an Austria
liam ballot Is q surplusage. more
dangerous, perhaps, and so far as
an honest determining of the vo-
ter's DE- sires ar d will, than the dan
gers in that respect sought to be
destroyed In constitutional restric-
tions. Our Australian ballot stat
ute is q fearful and wonderful com.
pound of all that is bad and all that
Is reasonably good In similar laws
elsewhere. The powers that be
could not resist the public demand
for honest elections. and they gave
us law which could be manipula
ted In constituting its very text to
their partisan advantage, and which
would be 80 confusing to q voter,
no matter his Intelligence, as to
thwart his purpose, If that purpose
was against the powers
But Democrats are not all parti-
sans. In fact, the white men claim
ing yet to be Democrats are outside
its pale in preponderating num-
bers. More than 10000 Of them re-
fused to participate In saving the
party only two weeks since, and of
those who did, large number have
begun to cry out against the ballot
law"
The Farmerville Gazette, the or
gan OF Governor-elect Heard, has
seen the folly Of 1t, and says there
Is entirely "too much red tape,
which the coming Legislature
should take steps to remedy" Con-
tinuing, it says:
believing that the ballot box
should be as free and untramelled
as possible, we think that the abil-
ity to register should be the only
doorway to the right to vote. Then
there should be no hindrance to his
casting his ballot just as he pleases.
In the first place, the present law
requires entirely too much red tape
in the method of getting the names
OF candidates on the official ballot
We say that the present law lays
wide the gap for advantage, favor |
itism and downright injustice.
AS stated above, we think the |
ends OF justice and fairness would |
be better subserved to let the
ability to register be the door
way to the ballot box. Let the
candidates or campaign
com mittees get up such ballots as
they see fit, at their own expens.
and not that Of the tax payers, and
then let the tickets be distributed
among the voters and kept openly
at the polls SO that they can have
all the time they wish to prepare
their ballot. Then let them 20 to
the polls and vote as they please
This method would insure justice
to all sides, and that is what tn.
honest masses want. Do away with
sl unnecessary red tape. Make
the election law and the plan of
voting as simple, as free, rs un-
as possible"
SO we see that the Constitutional
Of Louisiana has pro-
ven . failure. 1t places the bust
ness interest Of the State at the
mercy OF greedy Machine. It will
10 1t here A party is not honest,
md can not be trusted, that will
get up law by which to "stran
gle" and thwsrt the will Of the peo-
Die.
A MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION |