Evening journal., 1903-04-17
PLEAD FOR
PURITY OF THE BALLOT
Cc0ntinued From First Page.)

ana II was ridiculous to assume that
they were urging anything oppressive to
the unfortunates.
The protection of the purity of the
ballot Is the highest thing in American
citizenship. And the qualifications for
the exercise of this ballot are not dis
honesty and illiteTaoy. There is too much
OF the feeling that men who are honest
and upright in every department of other
life can be willing for debauchery in poll
tics. Real liberty is not in bribery. Cor
ruption is a menace to all true liberty.
The clergymen We're men before they
were clergymen, and they stood for the
elevation of the State and community.
Nothing in their position requires them
to besmirch their manhood.
In behalf of our manhood and all we
are going to bequeath we beg of you to
sign this bill. This question is concrete
and practical. We ask you TO prevent
this awful and horrible debaucherv of the
manhood of our State
The Governor Talks, Too.
In closing, the Rev. f. +. Briggs spoke
Of what would follow the debaucherv of
the ballot. Men who sell their votes. he
said, would be men who would take
money for q verdict as members of the
jury trying a man for his life. If this
Generalization continued trial by Jury
would be impaired. He begged the Gov
ernor TO consider the awful effects of the
soaring OF cOnsciences of men by vote
buying how families would be brought
up TO sell their votes and the horrible
results to the State that would follow.
Governor Hum thanked the delegation
who were so interested as gentlemen of
the Christian church to come here and
take enough interests in political affairs
to urge what they believed would pro-
duce better political atmosphere, A
continuance of this interest is bound to
bring about the result and il rested with
the clergymen TO see that by no fault of
theirs the interest of the Christian de-
nominations is allowed to lag. If we are
20 believe the Bible history no man can
be a living apostle without leaving his
nets and fishes behind him. We know
that in this day many a knee is bowed
TO Baal, and the Golden Calf is worshiped
as in the days of any other race or gen
Grafton. We are all responsible in the
same measure in proportion TO our tai
ents. The Governor said he felt much
encouraged. He thought the clcrgymen
knew enough of him by his reputation or
his antecedents TO know that whatever
he did would be absolutely from the die.
tates of his own conscience, for the
greatest good and for the least evil. In
Il way he was of peculiar character. lie
was raised in the peculiar belief of his
father and his grandfather, who had
done what was in their power for an en-
shaved and suffering race, and during the
greater part of that time they We're at
variance with the LAWS and customs So
cially, politically and religiously Of the
sentiment of the community and the
country
That teaching, the Governor said, was
so thoroughly identified with his own ma
ture that his first and only thought
against all others is that he relied upon
his conscientious belief in what is his
duty. lie accepted his conscience, just or
otherwise, in the same spirit in serving
the State, and he conceded TO no man a
higher love of God, country or State.