The Adair County news., 1905-09-20

power OF the law is recognized
and backed by the proper public
sentiment. There is no use of
providing any system with the
hope Of merely by a system bet
tering our condition. We can
not dodge the question or run
away from the responsibility
No law in a republic will rise su-
perior to it's authors and exec
utors, which is the people. No
law can be made so strong that
it will not be violated. Human
skill has tried it's uttermOst to
provide burglar-proof vaults,
yet the burglar has advanced
with equal alacrity, advanced
with his skill and overcome the
skill of the inventor. We may
exhaust our wisdom and englnu-
ity in the enactment of election
laws in the vain hope of thwart-
ing the corruptionist; but we
will find him as close upon u
heels as the prophet Elisha fol-
lowed upon the heels of his mas
ter Elijah. Every step We take
forward we will find him right
with us. The only way on earth
to approximate pure elections, is
to prescribe penalties for viola
ton of election laws, and to cul-
tivate and build up a proper pub-
lie sentiment to uphold and eX-
ecute them. At the same time
have publicity in voting so that
it may be known who have vio-
lated the laws.
There is no man who more ear
nestly desires pure elections than
| do, andn no man would go far
ther to have them than myself;
but | cannot believe that such an
end will be attained by secret
ballot. That is lodging the
question. Besides [ am unwilling
to give up all the valuable and
desirable things attending the
open ballot for the few little
crumbs that are promised upon
the adoption of the other system.
While we select all of our officers
by popular vote, we ought not to
be deprived Of the opportunity
afforded by the open ballot, OF
knowing the voting record Of the
man who seeks our suffrage
not only upon questions purely
political, but upon every other
question upon which he may have
exercised the right of voting. A
mans vote upon public questions
is the only true and reliable cri-
terian by which to judge Of his
real sentiments upon public Ques-
tions. With the secret ballot the
demagogue and hypocrit can sue
cessfully represent himself as
having occupied any position
upon any public question that
may suit his purposes at the time,
Under the secret ballot a man
may profess to beyom friend and
to agree with you on public ques-
tons, and at the same time dis
agree with you and stab you in
the dark. Public mems opinions
and their votes are public
property, and ought to be so.
This principle is recognized in
the report Of the committee in
the section under consideration
when they say: In all elections
by persons in a representative
capacity the voting shall be viva
voce and made matter ofrecord. .
If the open ballot is. the proper
thing for the official why not fol-
all other persons? Every citizen
being member of the Common.
wealth, and law making power
and having to. be bound by the
actions of his fellowmen in a Re
public having his veal or woe ir
their hands, has a natural and ir;.
defeasible right.to have it known
how he has acted and how his
neighbors have acted upon ques
tions affecting the government
his life, liberty and property
4 Voting is the exercise Of a gov
ernnlontal mower. the exercise O.