Evening journal., 1921-03-09

tai on the banks OF the Potomac
river. was witnessed one OF the most
significant speotacles Of tho twen7
ticth century when a private oit-
zen OF the Republic was placed In /
tho proud position OF ruler over tho /
froest aud most highly favored peo-
pie on the face OF the earth. On
the one side the spectacle was most
impressive. A man who, for eight
years had been tho ruler or n hun
dred million people, welding a
power far more roal than that oxer-
cised by any titled king. quietly
stepped out on the plane OF a sim
pie American Citizen, relinquishing
army and navy and ofiicial patron
age OF every kind, with only tho
power OF his single ballot left which
he shares IN common with the bar
Der who cuts his hair, the man who
blacks his shoes and the washer
woman who launders his linen.
on the other side tho spectacle
was still more impressive. The pic
ture had been painting for months.
Last autumn, from one side OF the
nation to the other. the people were
in the midst OF deep and anxious
thought and debate over a coming
presidential election. The great
parties grappled in a tremendous
struggle for the mastery. The fate
. ful day came. Individual sover-
eigns from office and shop and farm
registered their choice. At seven
o'clock in the morning the snow
storm Of the Nations suffrages be-
gan. The white fakes fell in all
the towns and villages between the
highlands OF the Atlantic and the
o Golden Gate of the Pacific. Snow
ing on until noon, showing on until
night. The octogenarian come up 70
the polls with tremblig step. scanned
p the ballot with his spectacled eyes,
; and handed It 70 the Judge OF the
! election. The white-haired mother,
J who had reared a generation Of sons
% to cast their ballots and had often
b. wondered what the experience must
Y be like, came up and registered her
r preference. The young man who
! had been patiently waiting the time
s when he would have the right TO
{ vote, came up and proudly handed in
4 his suffrage. The maid. with a new
o. sense of her dignity and apprecia-
A tive Of its honor, blushingly handed
% in her ballot The capitalist with
To- jeweled finger and the workman
q with hard fist came up. Showing,
showing, showing until at sundown
o all these flakes were compacted into
\ an avalanche which slid down in
!. expression Of a Nations will. Be
!. fore dawn OF the next morning the
> electric currents had carried the
news 10 the whole civilized world
: that a certain citizen candidate had
y been chosen President Of the United
States. During all the months since
= then the man thus chosen has had
y no more authority as ruler Of the
land than you or / or any other
II private citizen. Had he undertaken
a any authority as ruler OF this Natior
a before twelve o'clock noon, OF Fri
y dav last. he would have beer
promptly arrested and jailed. He
y. this American citizen, when th'
ie hour arrived on the 4th OF March
8, was invested with a prouder wan'
OF authority than is welded by an
h other potentate on earth, becaus'
n he has been chosen by a nation o
i sovereigns.
Value OF the Ballot
ID This spectacle ought 20 impress
ID us with the splendid privilege W.
n enjoy in having free ballot Ih'
IT ballot is a very ancient institution
re In Athens. long before the art
p? printing, the people used pebpies a.
." ballots. which were dropped into
box. thus expressing the puollc VIII
After that beans were used-Whlt
beans for the affirmative and olaci
beans for the negative Out
through that process II was easy q
see which way a man voted IN
n election sometimes took place
\ night II a man was TO be Noleo ou
III of citizenship. or as you woula say
ostracised his name was put upoI
a shell and the shell was oroppe
into a box. In the British Farl
(. ment Gladstone fought Tor the lu
introduction OF the ballot, ana
1862 II became one OF the fastnesse
Of the English nation. II IS no
one Of the corner-stones OF ou
American institutions. II Is olo'
than the Constitution. Tell me Wh.
will become Of the ballot and WI
= tell you what will become OF n
L American government Without n
ballot there can be no free instit'
tions. and there can be no perm'
ie- nent peace. Give the people evei
'er year. or every four years, an oppo
100 tunity of expressing their polite
IN preferences, and for the most pa
en you avoid insurrection and reVol'
ms ton. II they cannot have the Vo
they will have the sword.
When John Milton was visiting
nd Italy. he noticed that the gardene
aid and farmers were cultivating q
me side OF Mount Vesuvius while Il
me volcano was in eruption, and
for asked them IL they found IL sa
SO TO do. "Oh, yes" they said, 81
the danger and the alarm are befo
m the eruption takes place; then the
ce- is earthquake and terror all throui
per the country. but after the lava b
aid gins TO pour forth all the peoT
der feel relieved" II is the supressi
As OF the popular will that makes moi
an earthquake, political earthqual
viii Give the people full expressi
through the ballot and there Is n
the tional relief and national satisfs
ans ton.
cen A poor soldier went into the ste
of Of a hairdresser in London, a
10 asked for money to get back TO
All army. He had already stayed
lar- yond his furlough, and he must ha
- quick transit. The hair-dresser I
ars sorry for him and gave him
A.. money. Now" said the poor s
~. der, Il have got nothing TO give
nc" a, rottrn for your kindness exc