Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-03-19

great doctrines and subscriptions to
Icreeds. 1t is a life-an honest life
EVERY day. Let me make single APP
plication Of this truth pertinent to-
the present ine.
IA cetrain Mr.. Ballot Box left his
home in Philadelphia one memorable
day, and started on his westward
course. But he fell among thieves,
who robbed him, stripped him Of his!
raiment, and beating him, finally left
him well nigh dead. Now there
came down that way a certain priest,
who when he saw him passed by on
| the other side. There came, too a
citizen Of his own country, who look
ing upon him said Poor dog, and
lstraightway went on whistling ais,
merry a tune as the one he whistled
when he came. III 5.s
You understand my parable. Stuff
rage is one Of the first and the most
valuable privileges Of our free country.
But the polls too often are in the
hands of INSCRIPTIONS men, who have
contrived things their way. You may
have two candidates for office, but 1t
| is like choosing between the devil and
the deep sea; or again you have only
one and he thoroughly bad. You
must either vote for him or leave the
name unmarked.
| So there are those to cry at once:
what a wicked world we are living
lin! What vale Of tears!" And after
other expressions Of cant proceed to
get a good dinner of athe wicked
world" though they wouldn't vote,
mo, not for anything"
The other element Is self, not pub
lie, interested. They are perfectly in
different as to the candidate for Office,
unless they see, like ray Of light up.
on the horizon the prospect Of tax
abatement, and then they would sell
their precious souls to vote for a can.
didate who so promised them.
There is a call today for united
church-for all good and honest men
to rescue the ballot from it's infamy
to demand clean issues and clean men
to vote for.
i am not pleading for Christians
Eafter the Johanneau or the Pauline
TYPE, the adoring mystic, or the self
sacrificing evangelist, but I am asking
for men after the manner Of Theo
dore Roosevelt, who will hew to 8
line and fight here till they fall but
/ those kind Of men never fall. We
need men consistent to their convic
| tons Recently petition was circu
lated among cur citizens by a candi
date for mayor. It was signed by ont
man who said later: What's thu
! odds? I'll not vote for him. 2 Judg
ing from what others have said, hi
4 expressed a feeling quite prevalent
But would advise him and all Others
4 who signed that petition to stick by it
i If it was all right two weeks ago tt
Isign his petition, it will be all right
/ two weeks hence to vote for him fol
mayor. You see I am not advocating
4 the election of a particular candidate
/ God forbid that should use this desE
for such a purpose. am speaking
4 however, Of the underlying principles
in this and other campaigns. If YOU
are going to pray to Christ on Sunday
dyou will be consistent, of course, an6
Ivote for him Tin his behalf on Mon
il day.
One evil menacing our country to
q day, to which we should give most
Earnest heed is bribery. It's an ugly
word. don't like it, but the evi
must be faced. i ann not speaking Of
recent elections which in this part Of
| the state were unusually pure, but
do refer to the fact that bribery has
Ibecome awfu1ly prevalent in oul
country today, to the charge Of the
ldemagogue, who said it was easier tt
buy legislators than to elect them, tt
the charge, that railroads have sem
u thousands Of dollars into this state tx
Ielect candidates who would favor
| their interests; to the charge that in :
q western city not far away there is q
| list Of names of so-called citizens will
i the amount opposite those names
which will purchase their vote; to the
1 fact that only recently three men en-
Itered the Office of candidate and
after q few broad hints were giver
/ said outright, that If that candidate
expected to carry their ward they
| wanted money for its accompl ishment
It makes ones blood boil tc
speak Of these things. To vote is &
sacred right. Bribery is a sin against
| man. against God, and against ones
i country. This talk OF patriotism il
gush, il one can turn with impunity
i and sell the right to vote, which has