"Boss" Tweed is alive and well. . .

cartoon by Thomas Nast

"As long as I count the votes,

what are you gonna' do about it?" 

Boss Tweed, New York Corrupt Politician

from Tammany Hall fame

I've read the stories of William M. "Boss" Tweed with great interest. His influence over New York City government was infamous in the 1800s. He was well known for his hand-picked candidates who were elected governor and mayor.

A new and very popular political cartoonist, Thomas Nast, was constantly on Tweed's trail, and is credited with much of his eventual downfall.

The Secret Ballot was a "nothing burger" in the days of Tweed. He famously told a voter who complained, "As long as I count the votes, what are you gonna' do about it?" 

There was, in a later day and place, when the secret ballot meant something. In the days of my parents, not only did few people reveal their ballot choices but they never revealed much abut their political party affiliations at all. Ballot secrecy is not just a right of the individual, but also a guarantee to all that my vote was not wrung from me by bribery or intimidation!

People's suspicions of voter intimidations had  deepen when political activists have clever ways of finding out how you vote. That brings vote bribes, etc. into the picture.

I believe if we could guarantee secrecy in our voting, the voters would finally stop their evil "politicking." It used to be a time of happy gatherings and voting was just the start of a glorious day with friends. Compare that to today!

Or, we could just let today's version of "Boss" Tweed - Donald Trump - wait for the polls to close and then tell us he won!

No muss,  no fuss,  just lie  and pass 'em by.