Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-03-31
sATURDAY, MARCH 81. 1soO.
p1EcTroN BRIBERY.

The Presidents Protest, which took the
country by surprise, yesterday, will have 8
vorv different effect from what its author in
tended. Instead of discouraging investigation
~ d;vertinr attention from alleged corruption,
If will provoke more critical and unrelenting
ovor,ination. and excite the interest of mnl-
,;,nde who were before Indifferent concerning
+bo result. He will find, if his life should be
long spared, that it was fatal mistake as a
matter of policy, to send such message to the
House at all, and he may learn, though it is
doubtful. how dangerous it is in government
of the people, to assume prerogatives indepen.
dent of criticism in whatever constitutional
manner their representatives may see tit to
exercise it.
So important an issue having been made
an Issue which concerns the rights of the diff
ferent branches, and the purity ana IN
tegrity of the government ltselt-lt becomes
matter of no slight consequence Tor
the committee, to whom the present lnves
tieatiop is entrusted, to carry 1t forward with
impartiality, firmness, and dignity. The effect
of exposure upon individuals, or upon partles'
may be painful and disastrous. But the honor
of the country and its good name in history
would be cheaply purchased by the exposure
though new Golgotha were to be peopIed
with its victims
1t is an indubitable fact that the practice of
bribery has long been one of the established
means of controlling elections in some of the
doubtful states. Statements, authenticated by
the testimony of truthful eye.Witnesses, have
been made that the market price of votes, in
some of the towns of New York and Pennsyl-
vania, was from one to FIVE dollars or larger
sum if the person bought could control other
votes than his own, Men of no principles and
Indifferent morals have gone to the voting
places, waited for a purchaser, taken their
money, voted, and gone home. The common
practice of bribery, to be sure, is not so gross
as this. Purchasable men generally sell them
selves in the dark and no record is
made of the transaction. But the fact is con-
trary 10 nature, and cannot conceal itself long.
1t gets talked about in the streets. The man.
ayers who have gone deepest in the mire make
it the subject of pothouse conversation, and
riotous boasting; and politicians when they
quarrel convict each other of offences which
were notorious, but were never fastened to
them before.
1t has come to light that the president among
other things, has some knowledge of the man
ner in which the bribery money was used in
Pennsylvania during the last presidential cam
paign. There is one witness in Washington,
to-day, within reach of the investigating COM
mittee who could tell, if he saw fit, how much
the president knows, of it, But whether he
will, or not, the committee have possession of
the fields. Let them make as much of it as
they can honestly, Corruption in high places
needs restraint The same influences which
corruptly controlled the policy of the country
heretofore, still exists. Some of the democratic
merchants of New York have followed the
high example presented to them, and sent
their bribery money into Connecticut, where
they will be fifty rebuked by the unbought
yeomanry of that state. The president sends
up cry of distress, and makes false assump.
tons of power to ward off iniquity. But the
inquiry is a public necessity, and, wherever
the disgrace may fall, will contribute to the
public good.