The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1909-04-30
csoe SHOWS Up EDUCATIONAL
TEST FAlsfTv.

ghssnee. okla. Agrfi Zs.--Tzlk
zf.ys. yOur e1ueatiOn4i test said
Cash Csde. rep15iicza nsttO1sl con-
rrfs,ee-nar. today. the ceDocrzf no
hsppsers 20 D. IN cisssvOr wiih Cor
ss-nOr Haskell 4rd his machine ring
siH understand lgst VIA; The TAylOr
rfbbon ballot election aw means in
that respect. for ! tel yO1 this lsS
vas psEsad 70 perpet12te the Haskell
~inx % the csDocrzcy n power %
he erclustOn % everything else and
% every other brznd-
+ an oppossd 20 the TsylO- ribDOn
hali1e election lag for the reason ttaf
- gives ;hs party IN power. the gov
.s-uor. absolute oOafroi over TIE p~-o-
DE % the state Il does not mean
only ina, the Republican. or socialist.
Or Orher party il in czDgsT because
of this perniciOus lsr. bot Il gives
10 tbe governor the one mar po~er
20 make a martyr % any r1efnber q
the democratic party that hspI~ns 70
secure a nomination By the people
that be does NOT like.
"POr instance. the first three. fOgr
o. more names on the bzllOi could
De democrats The gOrd could BE-
PASSED down the line TO democrats.
and by counting tnree % four or
seven. ;hey could vote the democratic
ticket Then n there we're so1ne dem
Ocrzts that the governor did not Ike.
he cOuld rnf1 them % gifh reyubh-
cans. socialists and indepenoenn and
make Il an educational test - Tar
"a tisc one or more particular demo
Gratis were concerned
-
f,.ople and say that this laS is sn
eSueaiiousl test. and Il would D.. had
they included In the law that the
names should be placed on a balloi
In slDhabsilcai order They yill alEo
say ;ha, the republicans are opposed
10 the laN because Se are afraid
that IL All disfranehise the negro
I Eay 30 per cent % the negroes can
vote any kind OF ballot.
This laS was ingeniously fran q
IL was framed for the purpose of 20
ing before the people and saying %
them tha; II vas an educational test
Al the same time Il gave the Cover.
nor power 10 control the whole elec.
tion machinery % the state and 10
arrange the ballot By placing the first
three names or the last three names
"
baIlo, 10 that ever ignorant demo
csst In the state could vote the dem.
ocratic ticket
1T has been said that there Is fric.
tion among the democratic state Of.
hcers. which Is tru. Suppose the
governor wanted TO punish an indl.
yidusI in his party. lie would 20
arrange his name that II would be.
come an educational test. while his
pets would have the favored places
ON the ballot.
Take. for instance. the placing of
names OF candidates for presid initial
electors on the ballots under the
ribbon" system which this Law pre-
scribes The FIRST seven names on
the ballot will be democratic. and all
any democrat has TO do. who can
count seven. Is 10 vote for the FIRST
seven names and quit That's not an
educational test. but simply . matter
of being ahie TO count seven II
the republicans. prohipitionists. social.
lists fand independents should have
tickets also. that would be twenty.
eight candidates altogether their
names will be mixed on the ballot fol
lowing the democratic seven. and II
would take an educated business or
professional man To vote the ticket
and even he would have TO be an
expert II simply means the dis.
franchisement OF thousands Of the
most intelligent men Of the state.
The independent voter. the social
list. the republican. the prohibitionist
aud the honest democrat will put the
stamp OF condemnation on this law
when the opportunity presents itself