The representative., 1900-11-01


Editor Representative: This is one Of
the most portentious campaigns in the
history of this country. In reading the
speeches delivered by the political
speakers of both old parties, as publish
ed in the papers, am forced to believe
the speakers estimate of the intelli-
gence of their audiences is below the
average savage, or their bump of self,
Importance is about at the bursting
point.
Who is paying the freight of these
tail-end speeches? Jones, of course,
and Jones is the people.
How can an intelligent citizen believe
we have arrived at a point in our gov
ernment where it is dangerous for
majority Of the people to change the ad-
ministration by their voluntary vote?
If Mark Hanna's tail-end speeches are
based upon truth, we are now threat
ened with "commerciar' imperialism,
even to the danger point.
1t will be but step for Mark Hanna,
by another campaign. to urge the voters
to support actual Imperialism as being
no worse than commercial i'm
perialism. Hanna's effort seems to be
prompted by great personal anxiety for
the continuance of his man Mckinley in
Office. l believe it is dollars and no
''doughnuts" to Hanna to continue Nc
Kinley in Office four years more.
But let the average voter ask himself
what difference it will make to him if
Hanna gets dollars or doughnuts as a
result of the coming election. In judg-
ing the Bryan side of this campaign,
from what read in the papers, Bryan
would be consistent were he to frankly
admit his campaign is simply to get
the other fellow out and let him in up
on old time Democratic lines. But when
he poses as reformer and endures
Croker ct al, thus, his campaign is one
of deceit and he places more reliance
upon the political help of treacherous
politicians than honest reformers
1t is question in my mind whether,
If Bryan is elected under such condi-
tions, with such a following and sup
port, he will be able to even favor any
reform, should he desire to do so.
If I am right in my views Bryan
could have saved himself the trouble OF
making the statement that he would
run again for the presidency, he will
never have following enough to run
again. If elected this time the deceiv-
ed voters will have enough of him and
his supporters, who are favored by his
appointments
Now I learn I am disfranchised from
voting for Barker and Donnelly, either,
through intentional or unintentional
oversight in promptly attending to get
ing the electors on the official ballot.
1t is hard to be disfranchised in this
way, or any other way, when I realize
I lived in this country 81 years before
casting my first ballot, and my an
cestors have exercised the elective fran
chiso since and before the declaration
VI 1uucpcuUcuCcs UuC nave pIeOSeQ
myself never to cast ballot unless that
ballot represents my honest convictions.
If the Barker and Donnelly electors
were left out by design, and I vote
simply from force of that act, then such
an act as leaving off the electors will be
more likely committed again to accom-
plish some result. so l prefer not to
vote than to vote under such conditions.
There seems to be no effort this fall
to reach the farmer politically, except
such political ideas as they may get
from reading papers. Local candidates
seem either to have no views or prin-
ciples they wish to present to the voters,
or fusion has confused them. l have
not seen or heard of single candidate
coming into this township. 1t is my
opinion large number OF voters will
not go to the polls. General Apathy"
seems to be in command.
HAMLIN v. POORE: