The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-01-04
HITTING, THE NAIL On THE HEAD.

= The revelations OF some months ago in Ohio
and fHtef-fn- 9af-eWH- State-haTa- diS,hased-
our minds OF what appears TO have been the
eherishing of fond delusion We thought that
men p, risen high enough in the scale OF
civilized ethics and common decency and self
respect for the wholesale barter in ballots to
have ceased. We had learned the unwritten
history OF the South in its professed efforts at
preserving the supremacy of the white ballot
to ind our hearts filled with shame and
our stomachs sick with the stencil of the poll
teal corruption OF earlier days We have
tried 10 Justify Democratic friends with
the casustical plea that the doing OF evil
necessary that good might of IT, We
let it pass at that, though We could not alto
gether hide our shame.
Aud We had supposed that those days were
over. Thus we reasoned: Surely there are
no men anywhere in this day of enlightened
civilization Of little self respect such
dense ignorance such moral oblquity that
they would go into the voting booth havaa
Upholstered their inalienable right OF partci-
/ pating IN the government of their glorious re-
public. Then came Adams county, Ohio. We
glad it wasn't Nirginian. When the re-
violations from Lee county were made public
had 10 revise our standards Of existing
honesty and patriotism and make inward con-
fession Of the disgusting and disgraceful
/ political debauchery occurring within our own
precincts and INDUCED by own party.
! But there Is a hopeful side Of It, fne
i widespread Indignation and the absolute re-.
pudiaten OF such methods necessary or ex-
cusable under modern conditions indicate that
the masses Of the people have been educated
or reformed haze reached paint in their
moral evolution that will no longer condonc
the orense nor accord liberation 10 either
party to the contract by which it is committed
The punishment of the cuIprits in Ohio found
/ applause wherever the news was read 'hc
i determined activity o. Judge Skeen to appre
bend and bring to trial the offenders in his
! CT the press and the people of this entire
State We have passed beyond the point in
political life when any considerable number of
: neolle will stand for this merely commercial
espeGlent that transforms government into an
auction place and dehes the dignity # the
| sr"re III The mire OF the gutter
Gof.rnor Dix, OF New York. talks PLAINLY at
this point in his annual message. Wnat he
SAYS reflects the views of right thinking people
= every where, regardless of-party affiliations
and the fact that such sentiments find such
universal approval prophesies the early pass
ing OF the men who would desecrate the cane
tity OF the ballot and pollute the fountains
of national life
He says:
/ The State IF New York severely punishes
/ burglars. he says. but the buying Of elections
| oufRlai12es the inner sanctum. The State OF
/ New YORK insists life for life; but the
! huNing II elections, has other or surer
result than the killing of every principle and
| ideal of a self governing republic"
He proposes that the buying of vote he
made felony and that any candidate havjna
guilty knowledge OF vote buying shall be for.
ever debarred from holding public office