The Methodist clergymen...

The Methodist clergymen are makingsomewhat of a stir over the proposed new inauguration ball to iisher in the new republican administration. They probably won't admire the fact that while they were holding watch meetings all over the country to watch the old year out, Mrs. President Harrison was attentling a ball in Indianapolis. Gbrritt J. Diekema, the new speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives, is a brainy young man who bcars the weight of only 29 years. He graduated from the Jaw department of the Univeisity in 1883 an served with dislinction in the last Icgislature, being the acknowlcdged republican leader of the house. He will make an excellent npeaker and his Ann Arbor friends rcjoice to know of his preferment. The salvation of this republic depetids upon the purity of the ballot box. When cormption rules in high places and office is a matter of bargain and sale, when the free born American citizen sells his birthright for a mess of pottage, when dollars count more in vote winning than principies, then indeed will the safety of our institutions be threatened . The late elections indícate that we have been drifting in that direction. It is now time to cali a halt. Laws for the punisrment of bribery have proven ineffectual. It is now time to pass Iaws to make it impossible for venal politícians to know tha1 the votes they pufchase are del.vered. The venal politician knows too much to buy votes that he has no way of telling are delivered. The class who sell their votes are not sure to deliver those votes, if they can get ik money witnout doing ït. In tact they ae apt to take monev and vote as they please. Let our election laws be 8uch as to affbrd no protection to bribery. An absolutely secret twllot would secure this end. Our present secret ballot is a mockery. The work of vote buying is so systematized that but few votes are paid for that are not known to be deJivered. The present legislature of Michigan can niake ils'ilf known mid honored by passing laws to preserve the pu"ity of the ballot. Give us the Australian system of voting or some other system by which an absolutoly secret ballot can be seeored.