Litchfield enquirer., 1871-04-13
The Fourth Dist. Congressional Vote,

The Fourth Dist. Congressional Vote. OUR MEMBER PLAYS AN AssIsT1Na HANn''
 AFTER THE, MANNER OF THE HRATHnN cHINEE. Hs
 The extraordinary popularity claimed for Mir. Wm. Fl. Barnum is this District, and apparently shown by his largely increased vote over Mir. Coffng, is easily explained. Mr. Barnum had his own special agents in many towns. having special funds, whose special duty it was to increase his vote and cut down that of MT. Cofing. It was we'll known who was Mir. Barnums agent for that purpose in this place. That such plan, however pleasant for Mir. Barnum, was not so advantageous to Gov. English is obvious enough. A gentleman writes us 6 letter from Salisbury, which in the crowded state of our columns we cannot print entire, but from which we make the following extracts
 "Let us see how it was that MT. Barnum ran ahead of his ticket in this town. It is positively known that % Democrats voted the straight Republican ticket. in all ex- cept MT. Bafnum's name was in place of MT. Cofing's, for the express purpose of accomplishing the desire of their hearts, viz. !: 10 cuuse Mr. Barnuns to run ahead of his State ticket and M'. Co6sng to run behind. in this to,Un. It is also known that II Dem. ocrats voted the straight Democratic ticket except MT. Ceilings name in place of MT. R,p Tat &ho Eu fish had in this town 453 votes, and Bar nnm 476. If we add to English's s vote of 452, those of the 29 who sold their interest in him for the purpose above mentioned, his vote would have stood 482. thus show ing him to be ahead of Baruum by six votes, or in other words Baruum would have run behind his ticket six votes in his own town"
 In corroboration of the foregoing state- ment we notice the fact that while the Democratic vote of Salisbury for English is only increased about ten per cent on that of last year, the Republican vote for Jewell is increased nearly eighteen per cent The game exposed by our Salisbury cores pendent may have been fun for Barnum, but it was death to English.
 Our correspondent shows up another source of MT. Barnum's s popularity:
 For two weeks previous to the election. the "gin'mills" in this town were rendered unusually thrifty by visit from Barnum's agents, who seemed 10 possess the ''power" to wonderfully accelerate their wonted rate of speed in turning out work. In fact, so greatly were their facilities in. creased, that much trouble was experienced by them in the disposition of their finished jobs, so much so that these latter went tumbling about the streets in most dis gusting condition. Perhaps I might as we'll say here as anywhere, that my Demo cratic friends, now that election is over, are exceedingly annoyed all at once by the mills" above mentioned, and are now clamorous for their suppression.
 It seems that money was freely used on the Democratic side for the purchase of votes. That Mir. Barnum furnished the money no one doubts, but it is not at all probable that the guilty knowledge of such use could be legally proved against him. We take the liberty of making the following extract from private letter written us from Salisbury: s....e
 {" If some of the delegates from Salisbury had been there lat the Conventionl MT. Coffng would not have been your candi. date. He had fully made up his mind not to accept the nomination under any cir. cumstances whatever, and he supposed his name would be withdrawn if presented. He finally yielded to advice of friends, here and elsewhere, and accepted-with the understanding that he would not give dollar to bug votes-and he has stuck to it. He gave hberally for legitimate purposes. On the other side am told as high as $200 were paid for one vote, and from that down. Another poor man told Mr. that one of Barnum's tools offered to lend him $40 for his vote, and soould meuer ask him .for t. If the Republicans had gone. into the contest with money as the other side did, they would have gained good many votes.
 Barnum took his stand by the ballot box, as he always does, with handful of votes, to see that his men were not cor rupted, you know"