Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1854-09-02
The Berkeley Elections.

we hope 10 hear oil no iurlher dSi'dIioh III
REGARD to il. Of course, in consistency
with our avowed principles, We could take
no active part in that election-nor have
we had wish to do so. Neither do we
now recur 10 the subject for the purpose
of approving or Conforming the choice
made by the people Of Berkeley. But
we conceive to be our duty as citizen,
good and true to our country, and as an
editor faithful to the responsibility resting
npon us, 10 express our unqualified con-
demnalion of the means used by each par
~ 10 defeat the other. We have been
panied to witness the open violation OF
that spirit Of manly and honorable Poliil-
cal opposition, which has hitherto charac-
terized a Virginia canvass, by the Berke-
lev politicians, and we are no less surpn-
sed than panied, that the people of Berke-
lev should countenance such conduct
They could not have been ignorant of the
facts. They must have known-nay, we
assert boldly, they did know that many
votes were bought and sold, like any 9th
err marketable commodity, and that brides,
direct and indirect, were offered to IN
duce voters to absent themselves from the
polls. Things have come to an alarming
pass, when the votes Of the people, in a
country where the people rule, have an
appreciable pecuniary value. For if this
unhalIowed barter should become general,
as we have great cause to fear it will, the
government of our Republic would De
virtually, as that Of its great model and
predecessor was literally set up at auction
and sold TO the highest bidder.
Nor is this, by any means, The worst
feature of the lale contest in Berkeley.
Political corruption and bribery, is indeed
to be most heartily deprecated. But Po-
l!tical coercion strikes at the root Of the
tree of civil rights. It is hostile to the
privileges and Prerequisites of the citizens,
and to The genius Of the institutions Of our
land. That many persons were forced
to vote against their predictions, we
have coed reason to believe. Not that
to any was presented the alternative vote
thus, or die but that one nearly as des-
perate and more common in these times,
vote thus, or lose your Situation-your
support, met more than one man al the
polls & decided more than one vote. Nor
is this all. 1t is notorious that many a
poor, weak, misguided man, who should
have been the object of pity, rather than
political trickery, was tempted by liquor,
induced TO drink TO intoXication, and when
in that state either bullied or coersed to
some out-ol- the-way place and "cooped'
that is, confined and kept drunk till the
day of the Election ! This, we consider,
the eliminating point of baseness IN po-
lilical intrigues. We have heard that Ii
is common in Baltimore and some other
American cities, but we could not that
our upright, honest, highminded and pat
riutic neighbors in Berkeley would cOun-
tenance any thing 50 unjust, so mean and
so entirely anti-repubican. This is pref
ty much the kind of electoneering which
prevailed in Ireland Immediately after the
troubles of '98, but we believe it has been
discontinued there even, as insulting TO
the honor and self-respect of (reemen who
boast no rights, and who live on potatoes
The Berkeley election should be a war
ming 10 us and TO the State at large. 1t
should be held up to public view, in all lis
horrd coIors. The people, the honest
portion of the people. should know and
understand to what lengths their leaders
will 90, to what depths of neral degrade
ton they are willing 10 descend, if there
by, they may rise in the scale of Political
power. They bullied the weak, they
made drink the simple, and they bribed
directly or indirectly yet in either case
absolutely freemen of Berkeley,& all this
in our free and enlightened land. All this
in our ancient and venerable and moral
commonwealth in Virginia, famed above
her sisters for strict answering adherence
to principle--to the spirit and the letter Of
our "bill of rights !" allow is the fine
gold become dim -
But it is useless to lament what has
hnnnened=-let Ms he I'D and IRVING 10 a: