The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-24
FAV0RS A PRIMARY LAW
DIR. c. T.. BACON SAYS 1T Is BEST
METHOD FOR BALLOTING.
Practice of Buying and Selling Votes
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of the Rev.
III. w. Kellogg.

THE primary election law. no matter
what its defects are remains yet the most
democratic method Of expressing the cleo
tive franchise"
DrCC. E. Bacon. OF Roberts Park Church.
in giving some good advice last night to
the Christian citizens. took advantage of
the occasion to say good word for the
primary system and incidentally to con-
denim unstintedly the evil of vote buying
which accompanied the primaries recently
held.
There is scarcely anything more sub
versive of the interests of the State" he
remarked. than the practice of buying
and selling votes at primary or any
where else. The buyer is as bad. if not
worse, than the seller and should be dealt
with as such The party caucus, the candi-
date or the practical politician that adopts
a policy of corrupting voters should be
made to understand that they are striking
directly at the heart of our liberties.
THE practical politician tells us with
a sneer at our theories that the votes are
in the market and might as we'll be bought
by one party as another. Any other kind of
talk, they say, is all foolishness. Now the
fact of the matter is that there are always
some men in every community who would
sell anything no matter how sacred. These
fellows should be handled in the proper
fashion and not be led and encouraged by
the party vote buyer.
II am very much of opinion that citizen
ship should be taken out of the realm OF
impulse and placed where 1t belongs, IN
the realm of principle. If Christians were
better citizens the gospel might have a
chance.
The sentiment of sermons and gospel
meetings should be carried to the polls. L
do not believe in a church-governed State
or a State-governed church. do believe
in a Christian church and a Christian State
"One obligation that is fastened to Chris
tan citizenship is to vote. Another &C
COmpanying that is TO vote intelligently.
will admit that the latter is sometimes
pretty difficult. But the difficulty removes
in no sense the obligation. A Christian
should be willing to pay his debt OF duty
TO the State by serving it and serving il if
he loses something by it. He should serve
ii periodically. People sometimes talk OF
patriotism when they mean something that
is nine-tenths self-in terest and one-tenth de-
sire for glory. A Christian citizen should
make his vote count for the most. BY that
L mean that he should vote for the men
whom he thinks will administer affairs ac-
cording 10 the Christian conception OF the
proper manner of administration.
I'VE AnglO-SaXOnS ought TO vote right,
because there is nothing in the world We
like better TO do. Voting expresses a sense
of liberties: it is a concrete expression
of them. Men will fight quicker for inter-
ference with the privilege of casting bal
lots than for anything else. The cause OF
the fierce struggle in South Africa was the
course pursued by the Beers in shutting the
outlanderS from share in the ballot"
DIR. Bacon'S sermon was heard by an au-
dience that crowded the church. At the
close of the sermon proper he addressed a
few words of advice TO young men.