Evening journal., 1904-12-28
LETTERS FROM
THE PEOPLE
K. c. Whites View.

x. G. Whites View.
Editor OF The Evening Journal:
/ read with much interest and might
add with much amusement, the edi-
torial in your issue Of the 18th inst
relative to our present ballot law and
Hts proposed Improvement The first
query that suggests itself. when read
ing it, is this, why the repeal of the
voters assistant law was a measure so
much desired by our Regular Republi-
can friends two years ago. while today
there Is a grave doubt in their minds
as TO whether tt should now be re-
pclleI. There is but one answer to this
query, and that is, in the light of re-
cent events, and after our satd friends
have tasted the fruits gathered by the
voters assistants on November last,
lthey find that the taste IS very pleas
ant. Do you not think IL futile. and
even silly for anyone to attempt 10
explain this radical change of opinion
| I'm any other way? Delaware did not
suffer as much from AdJieErssn ON
! November laet as she G,d from the
element formerly known as anti-Ad-
! dicks.sm and watch was also known
as the Regular Republican party.
And again. it IS amuslng, when we
call to mind the TRADE Of abuse and
condemnation which has been heaped
upon Addicks and his methods by your
paper and others from his advent into
this State until the Sth of November
last while today anyone who reads
those papeis would not suspect that
bribery was ever engaged in to a very
great extent in THIS state, and if 1t
was, it had become a saving vintue.
But Of the remedy. The repeal OF the
voters assistant law would minimize
this dire evil without any hardship to
lanyone. There were no voters assist
ants at the general election of 1898 and
1900, yet the record will prove that
there We're no more defective ballots at
those elections than at the election OF
1904 The man who possesses his eye
sight that cannot tell a plow from a
star, has not much 70 lose by the fail
ure to register his opinions upon the
question Of the taftff or Of the Philip
pine policy of our government. Nor
does the state lose much by such fail
ure. Yet another view: The man who
cannot distinguish between a plow and
a star does mot possess sufficient intelli-
gence to pass judgment upon the quah-
fication of Ohr public servants, and il
or more of his party candidates be-
cause of personal dislike or i'll will,
there can be no hardship in such n
case because he cannot do so. for the
reason that the man whose malice
might prompt him to vote against the
best interest of the State possibly
should not receive much consideration
at the hands of the State.
M fc nnf nm. pnpuf1av n ffor, fa~
the rights Of the initerate voter that
concerns us so much. but il is alto
gether his ballot, and how. and for
whom he casts it, that excites our most
anxious solictude. But we will assume
that every man has an absolute right
to cast ballot and that he has the
right to demand the means by which he
may do so; this he can have and yet
preserve the absolute secrecy of the
ballot
Instead of imposing upon the Gov
ernOr the duty of appointing the vot-
ers' assistants. impose this duty upon
the resident associate judges of the re-
spe-tive counties, and make them
sworn officers that they will not as
sist anyone to vote unless called upon
viii not influence or attempt to influ.
ience anyone in the casting OF his ballot
and viii not divulge TO anyone by any
! means how any voter voted. etc This
. is perfectly feasible, effective and con-
sistent. Under our constitution the
Judges perform many important func-
tions relating to our elections and this
duty would be absolutely consistent
with those other constitutional func-
tions; and I have no doubt that under
, present conditions our judges would
deem it a labor of love to be permitted
to place their hands upon the very
source of all political corruption in our
State. They have learned that they
cannot prevent it by furnishing the of
tenders and they would be only toe
glad to prevent its commission.
e This, I say, is both feasible and ef-
: fective, because our judges would name
our best citizens fer the posltion-mer
= whose honesty and integrity could not
( be questioned by their political oppon-
ents. We have enough of such men
l now, am glad to say, to fill these po-
, sitions, but If Mr. Addicks and his
$ methods secure as many proselytes Al
future elections as at the last, and Ad.
dicks and anti-Addicks money contin-
e ues to be used as freely at future elec.
: tions as at the last, ! doubt whether
, those good men and true will continu,
long to exist.
trust that 7 may be pardoned foi
Imposing my opinions upon the pub
3 lie, but in view Of the political bribery
indulged in at our recent election, no
! only by those who believe that whe1
i they buy a horse they are entitled t,
its delivery, but also by those who for
merly condemned 1t and boasted o
their freedom from it. / felt that
might be justified In simply making
suggestion of a method by which poll
70 tical corruption might be restrained il
the future. Yet I am well aware tha
while the Democrats members-elect o
our next Legislature viii gladly vot
for any bill that secures an absolutel!
secret ballot Cthelr reasons for doinl
so are not hard to divine) the Repubi
o can members TO a man, AZ the behes
J. of their patriotic constituents, will re
= fuse 10 vote for any bill that viii pre-
vent them from ascertaining. by som
means. whether their horse is deliver
ed. What a sad commentary
} Yours, etc,
p q Ntrbfta