The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-07-22
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MK5 AND M17E5

Pembina Pioneer Express: II is re-
lated, that a railway contractor in
some foreign country had large num-
Der OF natives engaged to carry dirt TO
make necessary enbankmerts. The
method Of the natives was to carry the
soil in baskets on their heads. The
contractor saw a great waste OF time
and labor in this method so he i'm
ported a large number of wheelbar-
r Tvs. After teaching the laborers the
use Of the barrows apparently much
to their satisfaction. he left them for
other business a short distance away
A day or two later he returned and
found the natives busy with the bar
rows. but they were using them in
place Of the baskets and carrying them
loaded with dirt up the steep sides Of
the embankment-poised upon their
heads.
The air Of politics is full of novelties
these days and North Dakota is not
behind in the sensational features of
the purely mechanical methods Of
making people vote right by means
OF law.
The Australian ballot. the primary
system. the initiative and referendum,
the recall, and the multitude of diff
ferent phases of these, not to mention
the new fad just now in force by which
the North Dakota voter will be able to
express his second choice" provided
he ever masters the intricaeies Of the
method.
Now all these things may have some
merit, but after an observation of
some years we have not noticed that
any, or all Of them have made any de-
cided changes in the class of men that
are elected to Office.
In perhaps Just one way have these
novelties made any special difference,
in that they have to some extent in
terested the voter. because he had to
learn the new method of voting. Any
thing that will interest the voter in
exercising his franchise is worth
something. Partly from curiosity, and
perhaps from the principle that the
more a man works for anything the
more valued 1t becomes to him, the
very complexities of the newer systems
OF voting have made the voter a little
more thoughtful.
But after all these novelties in
themselves are no better than wheel
barrow. Perhaps they are a better sort
Of wheelbarrow, but at least they are
but vehicles. But the wheeIbarrow by
itself is inert and useless. 1t is the
man hebind the barrow, the man who
pushes on the handles that makes the
barrow become the means Of trans
portation. The barrow is loaded by
the man and pushed by the man
and in politics the ballot is but a We
hicle for the voter, 1t is but a piece
Of paper, and the voter loads the We
hicle and pushes 1t in such direction
as he chooses. and finally drops the
load, whatever 1t may be into the ball
lot box, with corresponding results.
But be the result bad or good. 1t isn't
the barrow. it isn't the ballot, that is
to be blamed or praised but the
voter.
A country that is governed by In
telligent and honest voters is the best
government on earth. but lacking that
honesty and intelligence, the better
government Is like that OF Diaz.
Honesty and intelligence are not the
products of machinery or methods,
or statutes; they must be inherent In
the people. Given honesty and intelli-
gence. the methods Of voting cut
almost no figure and carelessness and
no legal method will or can give us
honest, intelligent officials,