Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-03-23
BRATTLEBoRo. FRIDAY, MAR, IS, 1905
Carriages for Voters.

ga Premium on Shiftlessness, Is
the way the st. Adams Messenger des'
ignates the practice of sending ear
riages on election day to bring to the
polls men "'too lazy or too indifferent
TO 20 of their own accord. -
The Messenger is right. While the
Reformer does not quite agree with the
Messenger on the question of the legal
restriction of the franchise, 1t is heart
ily in accord on this point. All citl'
zens should have opportunity to vote
but they should not be coaxed or
bribed TO do so. A free ride to the
polls is a diluted form of bribery, III
a man have not interest enough IN the
affairs of his town, state or country
to 90 and vote of his own free VIII, OF
through the stimulus of little neigh
borly accommodation or counsel, ne
would better be let alone until he ac-
ouire that degree of citizenship which
makes his vote valuable.
Even in the case of the aged and IN
firm. we see no reason why free trans
portation should be provided unless
such citizens are in Strengthened err
cumstances. A man like Elijah Rudd
of Bennington, 80 years old, quoted by
the Messenger as having walked three
miles to vote at the last town election,
would probably have preferred TO pay
for his own carriage had he been un-
able to walk, yet able to be out at ALL
We fail to see why, from reasons OF
pure patriotism alone, any person, or
faction, or party should be more anx'
ious or feel more responsibility for the
ful6lment of a citizen s franchise PRIV
ileges than the citizen himself.
We believe that close scrutiny OF
motives and circumstances surrounding
this election day practice would reveal
little of patriotic concern or legitimate
philanthropy in its origin. 1t is pr
marty tne ulrect ouoSoi'o v
cause that needs votes. AS Thought
less concession to custom, 1T is an IN
situation. wearing the mask OF cour-
tesy, which would better be unoifered
or unaecepted. The men or parties VINO
extend such favors are-thoughtlessly
perbaps-as much the foes OF good
. citizenship as are the lazy and indiffer-
ent citizens who accept them.
The Messenger concludes:
WHY not cut out this carriage bust
ness. except for the infirm and aged,
and trust the fortunes of government
for a while to the men that love their
city and state and country enough to
at least turn out and votes Wouldn
we be likely to experience something
of the benefits of the survival OF the
fittest in that policy after timeg
Probably not: For the most active
men at the polls and in government ar
fairs are not always, or even almost al
ways, men who love their city, state
and country. The self-seeker's zeal and
energy often directs the work of unso-
phisticated patriotism which stands
aloof-weakly and foolishly enough
because it sees that corrupt and dis
criminative ring of astute politicians
is absolutely running things and no
way appears for relief. The loss OF the
lazy and Indifferent vote would be
mainly to the selfish activity which SO
often makes use of it; and the survival
would not necessarily be of the fttest
but of the most strenuous.
Nevertheless, from principle alone
or from sense of that self-respect
due the citizens of free government
whether they collect it or not, let us
cut out the carriage business, as the
Messenger suggests. 1t is not only a
premium on shiftlessness, but an OPP
portunity for corruption. Let every
man vote--but let him vote as a privi-
lege not as favor to some one else.