Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1906-11-30
THE sTAYAEHOME VOTER.

great deal has been said and written about
the use Of money In elections and the
crime OF the man who sells his vote and
the crime Of the man who buys 1t. No
phase Of the evolution of American politics
deserves to be more ruthlessly exposed than
this, and If any laws are needed In addition
to those we now have, 10 correct the evil,
they should be promptly passed and reIent-
lessly enforced. The degradation of vote SELL
ing and vote buying is more far reaching
evil than is generally supposed, because it
creates two classes of men who come to re-
gard the highest privilege Of citizenship as
the subject OF barter-the one class willing
to forego bis manhood for the temporary
advantage which a few dollars may give
him, the other class eager to purchase Office
and its emoluments and opportunities,
which, upon his merits as q man, he could
never hope to occupy. When Ferdinand
Lopez, in bis efforts to induce his father.in-
law TO defray his expenses in an election
contest, reminded Mr.. Wharton that it was
great honor to sit in Parliament, that clear
sighted old lawyer replied: THAT depends
on how you get it, and how youuse it, very
much also on whether you are fit for 1t"
The inference is urmistakble, that the man
who is careless of the means Of getting 1t
will be pretty sure to misuse 1t, and that in
either case he is wholly unfit for il; and the
incident quoted from one OF the best of An
thony Trollope's novels may be read into
current Maryland political history with pro-
fit. As for Ferdinand Lopez, whether in
fiction or in real life, he is beyond redemp.
ton. Ostracism-absolute and unchange.
able-ls the only relief from men of his ilk.
But vote sellers and vote buyers are not
the only offenders against the State 10 the
matter Of elections. Thsman who stays at
home on election day is guilty OF a moral
crime which may be quite as disastrous and
quite as lasting in its effect as the more dis
gushing offense of vote selling and vote buy.
ing 1t is begging the question TO say that
there is nothing TO choose between parties
and men. At all times the fundamental
issues are in evidence, and If at a given time
there is manifest an intention on the part of
politicians 10 take advantage of peculiar
circumstances to accomplish their ends, that
lie the time of all others for the quiet citi.
zen TO exert his influence and use the pow
er Of the ballot to preserve decent order
of things.
1t is pltiful to hear man OF substance,
whose walk in life is upright, who has, and
In the main deserves, the respect of bis
neighbor, say that he has not the time to
vote. In saying 30 he puts upon his vote
precisely the value the vote seller places
upon his; and while the seller may be, and
is, more degraded creature, the response
bility of the other is greater because his
general character gives him an influence
which the vote seller cannot exhibit. In.
difference to the welfare Of the community,
disregard OF the obligations of citizenship,
are not the characteristics of a neighborly
man--to say nothing of public spirited
man. In fact, indifference to these privileges
and duties of citizenship Is, in republic at
least, one of the worst aud most insidious
forms Of political corruption. In all ages
it has Furnished the opportunities which the
grafters are perpetually seeking, and with
strange fatality, with each triumph of the
grafters, the ranks of the indifferent increase
until conditions become intolerable, and a
general upsetting occurs.
1t is probably safe to assert, that II the
men who are inclined to neglect the ballot
could be brought to the polls, the corrupt
element would vanish. How this blessed
revolution is TO be brought about is a ques.
ton Of quite as much interest and quite as
much practical importance as that of the
elimination oil the corruption fund. The
question is so largely moral one, that it is
doubtful II compulsory ballot law would
have an immediate effect. The slower pro
cesses Of education in civic duty must at
least go hand ln hand with any effort to cor.
rect by law an evil which all recognize and
deplore.
In the meantime the small number OF
really intelligent and patriotic men who
take an active interest In politics can do
much to cure so deplorable a condition
Platform platitudes are largely discounted,
but real principles attract the better elements
of the community, and II the party nomi
nees measure up to reasonable standard Of
capacity and character, a long step will be
taken in the right direction.