Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1903-11-09

CURRENT COMMENT
THE OLD TIMES AND THE NEW.

The election is over and the results
are spread before the people in columns
Of figures this morning. OF the cam
paign it can be said there were few
unpleasant features in this city. The
severest criticism was on the demo-
cratic candidates for the school board
and that was justly applied. Generally
instead of the bitter vituperation and
abuse formerly so common in the party
press, there was, at the worst, only a
little good-natured ridicule attempted
by some Of the newspapers, and that
was not particularly effective.
No one acquainted with the political
campaigning of years ago can fail to
observe an improvement in the tone
and spirit of party newspapers and
orators at the present time. There are
a few that still indulge in the coarse
ness Of old time methods, but they are
exceptions. Generally, more courtesy
a greater disposition to appeal TO rea-
voters. and fewer appeals to passion
and prejudice, are shown than former
~.
In local elections there is much more
independent voting than was known
years ago. OF course. there is a large
ty nominations, at least in the open.
but there is reason to believe that
many of them take Advantage of the
complete secrecy of the modern sys-
TENS of voting to discriminate between
bad men on their own tickets and good
ones among their opponents.
The whole system of choosing public
officials has undergone great improve
NJ he
thirty years. The primaries or eau
cuses formerly were a disgrace to pop
ular government. In large cities they
were commonly held in liquor saloons
and often were run by the most I'M
scrupulous and irresponsible members
of given party. No safeguards were
thrown about the voting. There was
practically no secrecy, and a republic
can or democrat who antagonized the
faction in control of the caucus had
&c SHOW lot Of nerve and possibly en-
counter abuse if not violence. Men
from one ward voted in other wards,
and often those of one party voted in
the primaries of the opposing party
Today the primaries are protected
from such abuse almost as effective
ly as the polls are on election day.
There is a registration and the ballot
is secret. Colonizing, repeating and
other similar abuses are almost i'm
possible.
OF course evils of considerable mag
nitude still exist. but on the surface,
at least, there is a great improvement
in the manners and spirit of our DO
hucal campaigns and elections com
pared with those which prevailed a
quarter of a century ago. Among
these improvements none is of greater
Importance than the introduction of the
blanket ballot and the voting machine
Many Of our readers can remember the
old party ballots and the practices
which prevailed when votes were
bought in the open market and the
purchasers saw that the votes they had
bought were duly deposited in the box.
Ihat is now impossible. There is
precious little encoura cement at pres
ent for the direct purchasing of votes
at or near the polls, since il is i'm
possible for the man buying them to
know whether the goods will be de-
hVered or not; as a man who will sell
his vote Will rot hesitate to lie about
the way he voted
We hear much at present about graft
IN politics and government No doubt
there is an abundance of il in vogue:
but it is by no means as bold. conspicu
Gus and shameless as it was when the
older voters Of today were young men.