The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-14
Voting for Men from
 Different Standpoints
EdIfnr Ad4ertiser:

Editor Advertiser:
 II read in the papers that our mutual friend. ". J Bryan, is on speaking toui nf fha south. I say mutual friend'' be- cause you and I have at different times, rfven him our suffrage-that Is, we voted for him for President of the United States' Perhaps "sufferance' is the better word. There is a lot of difference between sum rare'' and "sufferance," but intelligent vnsn. ike you and me, know how the diff ference disappears when we stand at the Aa}lot box and exercise the citizens SOW ereixnfy for 'the greatest good to the greatest number" I'm going to make an honest confession and say that I voted for Bryan because I wanted to honor an aSx6ir.ahie Southern gentleman named watson, didn't fancy the man Bryan, fnr I. have no stomach for the man who runs so much to mouth. He had given evidence, in following the direction of conirnittee. of lack of the courage of conviction. think the man who lacks courage of conviction is unfit to be lead- er ofsotf,er men. You may have different md sbetter ideas on this line, and you .,,av have voted for Colonel Bryan be- cause he came up. in all respects, to your conception of fitness for the presidency. You smust understand that I honor Mr. Cleveland for having exalted views of fn- safviiual courage. For years I have con- tended that the citizen is greater than the party. We can hardly call him sover- eign who with cripgipg cowardice. ,obeys at the ballot box, the command of party. Good citizenship and party fealty are not synonymous. As sovereign cit- fzan owe mutual obligations of good government to every other citizen, and I should hold such obligations too sacred to be violated by outside dictation. Per haps fasting and prayer should precede every approach to the ballot box. Per haps, he is poor citizen and danger ous one, who, with a ring in his nose, and A lash on his back, can be led up to the polls to stulufy himself with record of approval of candidates who advocate doctrines which his conscience condemns. .Tet no such man be trusted" Colonel Bryan was such man, truculent to a cornmittee: advocating one thing with his lips, but paseively led by the ring in his nose. I think now he is animated by un- worthy spleen and is not seeking the general good, but the qualification of per- sonai revenge against a man who would not stullify himself. Thus he Is devel- oping 'an inherent littleness. May be so, he can't help it, in which event our man. tie of charity should come into general use. Certainly. from his past prominence we should learn this lesson. that such wretched party mistake absolves every citizen from party allegiance.
 However, if the political antipodes. Bryan and Cleveland. can indoctrinate the people with sound morals and good citizenship" the present and future gen. erations can forget their party differences and ''call them blessed" I'm afraid. though, that the time is past when the beloved could inject morals into party polotics. reckon you have noticed that all the training of moral institutions the Eunday-school impressions and pulpit teachings are pushed aside in politics. I can recollect the blessed old time when previous. to going into fight the good man would take off his coat. put it on the ground with the words, Lay there, Baptist till whip hell out of this d-d rascal" That's the way now in politics.
 The good churchman appears to feel like he is doing the whole Christian broth erhood a great honor when he votes to nominate or elect a candidate whose contempt for tine brotherhood is weekly expressed by his absence from religious worship. The moral men of the com munity "honor'' themselves by support of candidates whose consciences are not subject to the obligations of a juryman's 8 oath.
 We must conclude that a profession of morality and religion releases from all obligations of good citizenship" I may be wrong, but it seems to me that schools, literary and Sunday, lodges, churches, etc. should lead up to that exalted citi- zenship which, in it's very pride, scorns the candidate whose life is in contempt of the teachings of these institutions.
 Understand me. I don't mean that the ofice holder should be a member of the church, but he ought to have absorbed some of the refinements of religion I don't mean that he should be a member of some moral institution, but he should know the difference between mine and thin" don't mean that he should know algebra and the Lords prayer, but he should have knowledge for the adminis- tration of his office and pretty healthy desire 1to escape temptation.
 Sometimes l hardly know how to ad- wise one who is perplexed with antagon- isfic Inclination and duty. A fellow with already three dollars of one candidates money in his pocket fiads that the op. posing candidate will pay three and a half dollars for his unpurchasable suffrage He comes to me for counsel. He feels like duty to his family requires him to gel that other half dollar. It does look like a man owes that much to his family. ] took the matter under advisement and studied 1t out for him. told him that I thought the man who would insult a high toned citizen like him, with offer of
 money for his vote was lucky if he es- caped with three dollars believe 1t was a stork who. having pulled thorn from q wolfs throat and wanted pay, was told he ought to be satisfied that he didn't lose his head. And. the candidate who offers money for votes to the proud Cau- castaus that redeemed the State. etc. '' should feel blessed if he escapes with only the outlay of little filthy lucre. I told him, too. that one of his refined sensi- bflity need not hesitate to take the other fellows money since he. like the other candidate, had correct and exalted opin- ions of constituency and wanted to ele- vafe 1t a few degrees with a little gift.
 My mind is not clear on this matter and refer 1t to the moral teachers. My own opinion is that in the purchase and sale of votes there is nothing in law ar morals that binds the seller and that ho can sell himself every hour in the dav and then vote for whom he pleases with out violence to his incorruptible con science.
 I know of a candidate who is seeking a place of honor and boldly and above board announces that he will insult no man with an offer of money for his vote That Is 'old timey" and right, but the candidate is awfully ignorant of present conditions. J. Culpepper.