New-York tribune., 1876-12-06
THE POLITICAL CRISIS.
A WARNING TO DESERTERS.
HOW wINANs WAS BOUGHT BY DEMOCRATS IN lol
,y.pe IN /. snutAn CASE IN THE ELECTORAL

A WARNING DESEtl
HOW wINANs WAS BOUGHT BY DEMOCRATS IN Iofl
-rEARs OF SIMILAR CASE IN THE ELECTORAL
COLLEGE
70 IN, gditor Of The Tribune
S,p. For the last fortnight since it has been evi-
dont that there were elected in November lo5 cleo
tors for HAYES and 1Sf for Tdeu, it has seemed to
mo that the most imminent and real danger was that
one of the Hayes electors would be brbed either to
vote for Tildcn for some third person, so as 10
throw the election into the House of Representatives,
Perbaps this danger has seemed moro real to me De-
cause WIS present in Albany at the time OF the last
similar purchasc-n the case of Winans in 1871.
Then. you will reeollect. the Democrats bad 90 MEM
bors of the Assembly, which is bare majority and
exactly enough TO pass bill by tho forced resizna-
ton of "Jimn Irving, after his assault on Smith
Weed, they were left with only IA votes.
For three days no business was done, while they
searched among the Republican members for one
who would betray his trust. Sums ranging from.
$50 900 to $4,000 were offered to various ineInbers
who were esteemed weak brethren" but without
result. Members who woro thought assailable were
watched over through all their waking hours. But
ot length the absence of Mr.. Freas stereOtyped mo-
ton To adjourn az the Assembly met, showed
that the work had been done and the first ro-call
showed that Wnans-whO had novor been suspected
-was the man,
He received as nearly as could be ascertained
about So 600 and evidently Mt the time utterly
underestimated the vicuoss Of his act and its effect
OH the public mind. The result is lesson for to-day
Winans was man widely respected ana influential
>both in the Legislature and among his constituents
His home at Dunkirk happy one, enlVcheu
nv tho presence Of n wife and daughter. From the
hour uf his fall he Stunned by all but the vena
He WAS REGARDED rs a Judas al Arnold. One
l.. flx anI a
with him. II one short year his ill-gotten money
was roue his home destroyed, his family scattered
and he WAS rs "A vagabOnd on the face OF tho eartD
But the case with which man Of previously good
character was found tn snccumb to temptation
shows the danger of the present. single man
holds the Presidency in his hand. million OF doi
lars would be nothing TO be offered for one Vo'e'
What tcmptatopL million OF dollars Tor mo
,,ent,s yvork and that not n legal crime, with
prospcct OF the enjoyment Of his wealth abroad
whore few would know how it was obtained Ana
of corrsc the tcnptcr would urgo plausible reasons
He would not make n bald money proposition lie
would s,Ie:est patriotic excuses. "hch " "Ihahs
voted he did not do 1t sncakingy. He made
sncech ia which hc thought he justified his action on
high moral principles But the world knew better
and his speech was forgotten III an hour, "hhe MS
act will bc long remembered.
II /. a sad thing that we have had campaign
whc, ;usiifes such fear. INT such 1t has beeE me
whole from beginning 10 end las been conducted on
strictly Cuisines principles" certain number Ole
electoral votes were 10 be had, AID the means were
adartcd 10 the c.stics Of each particular case 10
achieve that rrsIt. We have scon within few
days how utterly unscrupulous th" Iilden managers
are as 10 Methods and how careless of the VIII ol
the people. Mr. Tiblcn Was willing 10 bc elected by
q vote in Vermont or Rholo Island il he could yet
one through n tcchEicalty. though bc knew the
pcoplc in both STATES hal rejected him. 10 now IL
Nebraska and South Carolina. Ii the end can bo
achieved, the means are NOT 80 be- considered. How
GOV. Hayes would spurn an election similarly Sc
cured
But the dlngcr il reel one. aud have thought
that a recital of the fI,e OF Winans might do
good.
FItsIiHg. H. l., Dee. {. 1876.