The Placer herald., 1872-12-28
DlSGRAGEECI.

1t is patent to all close observers tina elections
in this State are fast coming down to a CONNER
c'al basis. The Republicans inaugural i the dis
graceful practice four years ago in V ir9inia City
and since then the plan has been EXTENDED to al
parts of the State Even away out here in Eure
ka we have numerous cases where votes were
openly and indecontly purchased by the Repub
Leans at the recent election. In Virginia City,
and the western counties generally, the corup-
ting influences employed on election day, accord
ing to our adyces, simply beggars description.
TO give our readers some idea Of the wholesale
manner in which votes were bought and sold in
the full light Of Gods blessed sunshine we ey.
tract the following paragraph from the Gold
Hill Neics of the 9th instant
''To the eternal disgrace of this community be
it said that nobody ever saw such buying and
selling of voters was done yesterday in both
Virginia and Gold Hill. Men sold their votes
publicly in the most open, unblushing manner
They were bought by squa Is and clubs, whole.
sale and retail, the price being from :; 50 apiece
to S1O9, the average price being about $40. One
club of seven was bought for 500, and another
club of twenty was bought for $50. One large
club at Virginia, consisting of 100 men, were for
sale at S5OOa piece. They were holding ameet
ing i'll the afternoon at Miners Union Hall on B
street, waiting to be bought when one of the
directors In charge of the Hall found out the true
character of the meeting, and ordered the whole
crowd to yacate the premises. They refused to
go, but reinforcement of numbers of the Miners
Union inlly made them leave in IA hurry. They
went to another hall, but had to get out Of tba,
also. Before dark they had dropped Their prce
from SoO0 to 81 30 apiece, and not more Than
half OF them made out to sell, or even to vote
When the polls closed there were probably 300
or more who waited to be bought who .ound tbev
had waited too long, for they crowded about bg
polls most anxionsly III the Second and Third
wards, keeping quite number of good honest
worklnSmen from voting who could not cone
any sooner. One Sp nish woman on South G
street was out with plenty of money, buying votes
Tor Jones. All sorts of Tammany tactics were
resorted to- and money was plentier than wafer
IL was literally a moneyed fsht-money regard
less of merit ''o''"
We'll may we inquire whittier are we Drifting
Ihere must be cessation OF this sort ofthinp or
else onr free institutions will soon become
mockery Men in high places have set tbe OK
ample united States Senators and congressman
Tor the last few years have been paved millions !
oy tne corrupt rings of the country to secure leo
lslgtion. which was only calculated to make .tbe
r'ch rlcief and the poor poorer and now the
voters must be corrupted to keep bad men in
once: there must be remedy somewhere for
all TINS. 1t must commence Mt the foundation
among the people themselves, who are the reol
source OF al political power under our form Of
government Bribery and corruption at the
polls must be suppressed, and for our mart W.
are T IN iavor OF making it IL felony for any one
Offering to buy or sell vote The last Demo.
cratic State Convention held in Nevada passedo
resolution favoring such law, and after the dis.
graceful scenes so recently enacted tbroucbout
me commonS 1th. the honest people Of all
~ p.'.es snoulu + Sc In Their might and demand
Its unanimous passage by the next legislature.
-En,ut,9 Se~ti,e' e'''"'u''