The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-10-07

panying the ballot If mot on the ballot
itself.
1t is almost needless to point out that
this involves too much sacrifice for the
benefit Of citizens who are too lazy to go
to the polling booths or are too good
to mingle with the common herd dur
ing the few minutes necessary for regis
terfng vote. 4tsuggests at-once choice
hesitation IN making choice It would be
thoughtless man who would consent 10
destroy the SECRECY of the Australian
ballot for the benefit of minority whose
good citizenship consists solely of obey
ing the general laws and protesting
against bad officers whom they could
have defeated by going to the polls in
person. Their Indifference toward this
common but sacred duty Of American
citizenship is. unquestionably an evil, but
1t cannot pfSpe4ay be- feckorled with ty
creating worse: evil. No mail scheme
of voting could pe confined to a certain
class, but would have to apply to all
alike, thus opening the. way TO wholesale
bribery and. corruption. A voters name
signed to the ballot would Identify him
and his vote more clearly than was ever
possible under any system heretofore
used, and while, the few good citizens
were sending in their ballots the dishon-
est politicians would be buying enough
votes to offset their influence.
The only practicable remedy for the
good citizen" habit is that which is be-
ing applied every day in the shape Of
bad government. Instead of being pam
pered and catered to, they should be con-
stantIy reminded that they can have
reform wherever. they get ready TO. vote,
not sooner; that if they fail in this
duty they deserve ali of the annoyance
bad government causes them. When the
man who refradns from voting writes
learned articles for the magazines, pro-
testing against corrupt government, Or
contributes to the newspapers vigorous
kick, he ought to be told that hal1 of
the time necessary to write the protest
could have been used by him to better
advantage on election day.
There is no royal road to good govern
ment in this Country, At least it can can,
not be obtained, by taking the voting
booth to thea doorstep of the s'unco
guid,'' of whom the poet said:
con, ye who. ARE sac guild yoursel;
Sac pious a1ad sac holy,
You have nopghf to do but mark and tell
Your neeb0dr' faults and folly!
--4zSz ~ -sz1ass.-- ---2------- -
WANTS LEGATIONS ON THE BLOCK.
The correspondence between the en-
peror Of Cshffifdi :agnd Emperor William of
Germany, IN which $he former dlsayows
responsibilities for the death OF Baron
Won el&ettlenl sand premises to atone for
the deplerable Event, by pouring II
bations on the= altar reveals that the
German emperor has not modified his
determination, To secure condign punish
ment for the leaders in the Boxer move
ment The idea that Won Kettler's death
could be atoned for by pouring. a little
perfumed grease on the altar of a wood
en- god, must have NIGHTLY stirred the
wrath ofrCernnany's, lsplers hut. he man
ages to. control himself admirably in the
reply. He thanks. tbs Chinese emperor
for the proposed Hhation. while rather
pointedly and politely suggesting that
something further f is called for, William
IS aware that1 therfensberor of China is
Z
a mere fsurehead' bh1ef the ! ppfftesc1it res
-gime.- ard franz in Saying that no
personal. responsibility is charged, against
him. for the outFages that have taken
place. But he is surrounded by advisers
who are responsible, and these ''must
expiate their abominable deed This
means Prince T,uan, for, one, TO, doubt.
and it, would include the dowager--en,-
press herself, if Germany thought there
We're the slightest chauee of laying hands
on her.
The contrite Chinese can follow their
own custom without let or hindrance.
and pour hbations on affairs till the sup
ply runs out, But there. are two sides to
be satisfied..tands while the Chinese en-
peror is satisfying his conscience in this
way. Emperor William insists for his
part, that the guilty officials shall con-
tribute lbat4ons, of blood on the block.
To this end lie offers Che emperor of Chi
ma the hep and protection of the Ger
man army. thus placing him in an ex-
ceiEent position. TO secure a test of sin
cerity OF. .theaprofessions contained in his
letter to William Eut it is probable
that if the Chinese emperor. expresses
a Willingness to comply with the de-
nands, the German ruler will have to
accept the word for the deed. because
Emperor Kuang Hsu is practically
prisoner under the charge of the dowager
empress and has no freedom OF action.
beyond ordering hbatiohs poured on Al
tars. The dowager, perhaps, reasons that
this amuses the young man and can't
do any harm, While it might soften the
wrath of tie Europeans
There can be no doubt about what
Emperor William wants in the way of
satisfaction, but it is hard to see. at
present, how he is going TO get it at the
hands of Kuang Hsu. Emperor William
cannot be ignorant of the situation. and
perhaps he merely seized Upon the on
portunity offered by ,Kuang Hsu's letter.
to proclaim to the world ir. general his
purpose. The world understands. and
wishes him a s1IocaSSf,,t ,.t,,,s a.,