Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-11-06
Re Not Afraid.

Re Not Afraid.
Much has been, and is being, said in
democratic newspapers complaining 0.
attempts on the part of republican EN-.
ployers to intimidate their employees
Much of this is founded upon uldisput.
able proof, much of it may be untrue,
and much that is true may never have
come to light.
We hope there is nothing of this sort
in Wausau this year, as there was in
1896.
We have, however, what we believe
to be thoroughly reliable information
of the bribery of voters,-the payment
of money to men who will agree co vote
for Mckinley. This is nothing new
however There has always been more
or less bribery of voters and always
will be so long as the enormous cam.
paign funds of late years are raised and
there are men who do not know that the
privilege of citizenship and its duties
are sacred, but who consider these
privileges and duties as something to
be trifled with, and used as the means
of getting holiday with plenty of beer
to drink.
The laboring man is excusable for
doing anything in his power to hold his
job. He is usually employed by man
who is opposed to the present demo-
cratic party. These employers are
sometimes-yes too often, men who
would not hesitate to put bad mark
against an employee who votes con-
trary to their wishes. The employees
know this andit is natural they should
desire to conceal their political views if
they are democrats. Under present
bad conditions we can not blame them.
We e5ra the time may come when a
mans political views will be respected
as much as his religious views, and no
employer would think of discharging a
man on account of his religion. But
men have been ever more jealous of
their religious liberty than of political
liberty Religious liberty has always
come first to men. They have won it
first. After winning Ii they turn their
attention to political liberty. But, for
reasons that are evident enough if we
consider the matter, political liberty
has always been harder to get. 1t will
come, however, in time.
Until it does come the laboring man
will never feel entirely free to let his
employer know how he intends to vote,
unless they happen to agree.
Perhaps there are not many who fully
realize the fact that it was to offset this
very evil that the secret ballot was in
vented. 1t was thought man might
go to the polls with folded ballot and
no one would know what was printed
thereon. Then it was found that the
voter was accosted by ticket peddlerS
at the entrance to the polling place, a
ticket put into his hands and the voter
followed up until that ticket was depoS-
tied, so that he might not by any sleight
of hand exchange it for another. Thus
the secret ballot was made n farce.
To remedy this evil the Australian
ballot system was devised. This pro-
hibits tickets from being peddled out
side, prevents men from following the
voter up and watching him, by prohib-
ting them from coming within 100 feet
of the polling place for any purpose
except to vote, and makes it necessary
for the voter to read his ballot and
mark it as he desires, in a private oiaset
where no oue can see him.
These things were devised to over
come this very evil of intimidation or
coercion of voters, and the fact proves
that the evil is an old one.
The man who would eoeree or intim-
idate voters has still few means left.
He can talk to men aud they are afraid
TO reply their real opinions. He can
offer them beer or whiskey and they are
afraid TO refuse, because refusal might
Indicate their opposition to him polit-
ically He may even offer them money
and they be afraid TO refuse it.
Tbs man who fears to vote his own
convictions because he is afraid some
one else win find him out, should re-
member that it is an absolute impoSsi-
bility to find out how he votes, under
the present ballot system. If some one
has exacted promise from hin, he
should realize that such promise is not
binding, morally or legally,-that it is
sin to keep it and virtue TO violate it.
The law demands a secret ballot, and
that every man should vete his own
convictions and net those of some other
man. The law has done al it can 10
secure this end. The voter who votes,
as he himself desires. is obeylng the
law The voter who fails To perform
promises exacted from him contrary to
law, thereby obeys the law.
Go into the polling booth and vote
for the candidate and party of your own
choice. and feel absolutely sure thai no
living man can ever ind out how you
voted, unless you choose TO tell him.