The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1908-09-17
SHALL THE PEOPLE RULE.
Declared to Be a Paramount Issue
in Democratic Arkansas.
The Situation Intolerable to Free
People.

In his speech of acceptance Mr..
Bryan said: Our platform declDres
that the overshadowing issue Which
manifests itself in all the questions
now under discussion, is, shall the peo-
pie rule? No matter which way we
turn; no matter to what subject we ad-
dress ourselves, the same question con-
fronts U.S."
If Mr.. Bryan will turn towards AL
most any Southern state which has
been under permanent Democratic con-
troll, he will quickly find field for
practical work in the direction of hav-
ing the people rule. Let him, for in
stance, turn towards Arkansas where
there Is a campaign In progress involv-
ing, above all other issues, the reform
of the present electoral system Of the
state.
The Issue in Arkansas.
OF this system, and of some Of the
issues involved in the campaign, George
L. Mallory, Secretary Arkansas State
League Of Republican Clubs, in an adj
dress delivered August q, 1908, at
Maumelle, Arkansas, said:
in the last national contest the Re
publicans of this state polled AZ per
cent Of the total vote cast. Roosevelt
received only 1900 fewer votes than
Parker, and this with the returns held
back for twenty days by the election
boards before the results were an
nounced. If it required twenty days to
patch up majority Of only 1900 for
Parker, who is there who will not say
that by every application of circum-
stantial evidence Roosevelt actually
carried Arkansas in 1904.
"The Democrats often say they grow
tired of hearing the Republicans ever
liastingly talking about the Arkansas
election law. But just as long as this
iniqutous system remains with us and
the machine that it has created con-
tinues faithfully and unerringy to
grind out majorities for the dominant
party, giving the minority no represent
tation of their own choice on the
county boards or at the polling places,
just so long will we cry the issue from
the housetops and demand the common
rights of American citizens.
IL have no hesitancy In saying that
the fertile source Of nine-tenths OF all
the evils under which this state suf-
fers is the Democratic election law Of
1891
"The law that places the whole ma
chinery of elections in the hands OF
three Democratic otfice-holders, often
themselves candidates for reelection, Is
itself the strongest circumstantial evil
dence that it is the intention to steal
the election. Add to this the refusal
to allow the Republicans, who cast 40
per cent Of the vote In this state, the
right to name their own election judges
and clerks, and the evidence Is almost
| complete u coHNiHce lhe hiool cohooi '"
Tive man of the fact that Republicans
in Arkansas are beforehand marked for
defeat, and that fairness and honesty
and the reputation of the state will all
be sacrificed, if necessary, to carry out
the corruption.
THE Democrats have frankly given
as their excuse for this law that 1t was
created for the purpose of counting ont
the negro. Yet we all know that the
worst features of this law are invoked
in the white counties of the state
where the Republicans would surely
win If given an equal chance with the
Democrats at the polls.
IntOlerabIe Situation.