Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-02-15
Honest Elections.

Our neighbor. the Eagle, of last week,
in referring to our article under the
above head, among other things says,
But the logic of the CITIZEN editors
opposition to Machines is the substitut-
ing one Machine for another which
promises no improvement whatever.
How the amiable editor of the Eagle
can arrive at such a conclusion we are
at loss to know, his reasoning is evil
IDENTIFY little on the bias, as we said
nothing that would lead to such corr
eIusion Our opposition to machine
politics is because it is wrong in princi-
pie, and in time grows into the condi-
tions we have in this state where we
have lot of political freebooters who
have no regard whatever for what the
people want; what the machine wants
is the only thing they consider. and by
having the machine in good running
order" like the highwayman we read
of, they say to the people stand and
deliver" having no regard for the rights
of the people in our affairs. What we
are in favor of is full, free, fair, ex-
preston of the will of the people at the
polls, either primary or general cleo
tions. without the interference and
"bull DOING of ANY machine bosses,
and when that will is so expressed we
cheerfully abide by it.
This ia our position instead of sub
stituting one machine for another . We
cannot see why our neighbor uses the
expression unless it is to direct the mind
of the people away from its subservien-
cy to the "Quay Machine, the most
corrupt political gang we know of, as
shown by the recent ballot frauds in
Philadelphia, where nine of the culprits
Jumped their ball." and are fugitives
from Justice, and three of them convict
ed last week and sentenced for two
years to the penitentiary, and each fin
ed $500 and costs, the limit the law
would give, and the fearless judge ex-
pressed his regrets that the law did not
allow him to give him more. Machine
politics that bring about such results as
these is what we, in common with all
fair minded people, are opposed to,
and our neighbor cannot get away from
Its share of the responsibility by con-
demning these poor tools of the machine
that have been convicted, while it con-
tinues to support the head and mana
gers of the machine who are smart
enough to dodge the corners of the law.
The Eagle refers to the nomination of
Hon. John Dindinger for the Legisla-
Z - - - +haN
he was nominated by Democratic votes.
Such an assumption is wholly unwar-
ranted, and reflection on the honesty
of the Republicans of Zelienople and
vicinity, and on the candidate who was
elected and faithfully stood up for the
interest of the people when in the office
to which he was chosen. For the infor-
nation Of the Eagle, for it don't seem
to know, there is quite an addition to
the borough of Zelienople, called ''Ze-
lienople Extension" adjoining, but out
side the borough limits in Jackson town
ship, where quite a number of Republi
cans live. To vote at their township
polling place they would have to go all
the way to Harmony or near there.
quite distance for many of them. and
as they were all well known Republi
cans, the election officers in sort of
neighborly spirit, seem to have relaxed
the rules little, thing that is not ad-
visable, and permitted them to vote at
the Zelienople Then we learn some
Republicans near Zelienople in Gran
berry township who would have several
miles to 90 to vote, were allowed to vote
at the Zelienople polls as a courtesy to
them.
This is all there is in the tempest in
tea pot" our neighbor tries to raise,
and we think it should apologize to Mr..
Dindinger and the Zelienople Republi-
cans for the inferertial attack on the
fairness and honesty of his nomination.