Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1912-04-17

~ 49, - ~ w Jul AaAg g. $500
or shrink from it as cringing
towards. | believe you will take the
horn of the dilemma that will lead
you in the right and lawful direction.
and that you will sedulously avoid
being led off into the other path.
Your duty j. plain as given in
these instructions and as embraced
within the laws of our state. You
can not afford not to do it, much
less can you afford to allow your
selves to be led of by any considera-
ton Of favoritism or fear Of personal
friendship.
You have qualified yourselves, and
have just subscribed to an oath that
il as sacred and binding as the law
can make it, that you will not.
Friendship Must Cease.
You have 0 assumed a position
where friendship must cease. A
grand juror, as such, has no friends,
neither has he any enemies. But you
have a soul and a conscience. and
have invested yourself with an oath,
all Of which together ought to, and
will. compel you to act promptly,
vigorously, impartially, and with no
fear but that Of God himself before
your eyes.
AS General Lee once said: Duty
is the sublimest word in the Eng
lish language. Do your duty in all
things. You can not do more; you
shoE1d never wish to do less" Let
these words ring in your ears from
this time throughout all of your de-
alterations and until you have made
your final report, and keep them
constantly before you as your guide.
In the investigation Of these po-
litical matters, the sole and only
questions for you to consider are the
violations of our laws and those
guilty thereof. You are not to be
actuated by your personal like or
dislike for any candidate or candi-
dates gefore the people for their suf-
frage, nOr are you to consider the
political fortunes of any man or set
of men. There is a great deal
at stake than any such issue. II
is immaterial to you az grand puror
what man, or set of men, was elect
ed but a much more grave question
does concern you and that is the
right to have a fair election conduct
ed where your citizens may and can
vote as they please, and having done
so, have the i~nalienable right Of
having their ballots counted for the
candidate Of their choice. Hence 1T
resolves itself into the question, not
SO much Of the rights Of respective
candidates, but the rights Of the peo-
pie themselves as guaranteed by our
constitution and laws. Under our
republican form of government,
which is based upon the principle
that the people rule, the sacred right
Of the ballot is, and ought to be,
supreme, nor should it be permitted
to be abridged in any manner,
through fraud, corruption,
enmity or favoritism.
Rights Of the People.
The rights Of the people to rule
is one Of our guarantees, and when
they are deprived Of doing so by any
then are our ideals Of true
government shattered, and the very
foundation stone upon which it is
built trembles.
Whenever it gets so that the citi-
zen can not 90 to the polls untram-
melled, cast his vote as his own mind
and conscience dictates, and have
will as expressed BY the ballot
properly registered, then, indeed, it
Is high time to call a halt, for, gem
tlemen. such a state of affairs is
scarcely less than anarchy and law
Iessness run riot.
The purity Of elections, the hon
esty Of election boards, and the
.lcquiesence in the will Of The ma
as fairly and legitimately ex-
pressed are the very foundation Of
All good governments. and any gov
eminent that does not adhere to ii
Necessary becomes shattered and will
eventually fall.
No higher privilege i granted
he American citizen than the power
conferred by the ballot, and | know
II NJ more heinous crime than the
that deprives the citizen Of a
free ballot and a fair count" No
how little weight we might
q willing to accord the judgment Of
he individual voter, yet when he
exercises his high privilege and
.asts his vote. he Is entitled, under
he law. To have III reflect his iudg-