New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-03-08
NEW-HAMPSHIRE ELECTION.
PARTY MACHINERY.


prrrcr oP THE ELECTION on NATIONAL POLITICS
IMPRESSED on vOTERs-ABsENr VOTERS PAID
40 RETURN HOME-CLosENEsS OF THE VOTE
TrRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRiBuSE'I
CONCORD N. H., March G.-Political campaigns III
New-ITampshire are fought with degree OF energy
and iercenoss unknown in other States Bitterness
and bipotrv characterize both sides. Nowhere else
ia there such ferocious partlsanship nowhere such
distrust intolerance, and hatred. Every nerve IS
strained TO carry an election every device that nm
scrupaous ingenuity suggest Is resorted TO- inc
annual contests for all State and county Officers anu
for members of both branches of the Legislature
keep the two contending parties perpethally a.
swords points and the smoke of one battle does not
fairly get out of the air before the first guns OF the
next one begin to roar. One might suppose that IN
tbe midst of this perpetual din people would grow
indifferent and cease to care much for the perennial
clangor of party strife and perhaps they would II
they were not made TO feel that the eyes of the whole
countrv are turned toward Hampshire and that
they carry the fate of the nation upon thershouders
Every year the party orators and newspapers rouse
ND the masses 10y magnifyng the Importance OF the
result here in influencing the elections IN other
States and the voters believe that the entire coun-
try is waiting on tp-tOe 10 hear the news from the
Granite State. They imagine they are sustaining
the first shock of great political battle that e1-
tends throughout the land In such state of things
the trade of politician is naturally lourishing one.
To drill and discipline the voters, gather up the
straggers raise the sInews of war, spy out the
movements Of the enemy, and corrupt his adheTents
occupy large force of men, who manage to get
good share OF their living out Of politics, and VINO
never spoil their business by giving people little
rest from the perpetual turmoil Of partisan STRIFE
Happily the good sense Of moderate men IL begin
nlng to make itself felt in the form of movement
for biennial elections held q TIE Fall SO as to make
il impossible to raise campaignfnnds IN othef STATES
The question Of holding Constitutional ConVen-
ton, which is the only method by which this reform
can be accomplished. will Re voted upon at tue en-
suing election. Very little is said about the matters
IN fact il appears 20 be almost lost sight Of in the
excitement Of the canvass. But rs the Republicans
Endorsed the proposition in their State Convention
and the leading Democratic journals support it, it is
probable that enough affirmative yotesw be pohed
to carry it through.
New-Uanpshire is to-day and has been Tor many
years Democratic in sentiment. If the voting popu-
oion coulG express its preferences between the two
parties without the application of party machinery
or corrupting influences, the Democrats would have
q Trustworthy majority OF two or three thousand.
TO wipe out this majority Is problem which taxes
al the skill Of the adroit politicians who run the
Republican organization. About two years ont OF
three they succeed in solving 1t, but to do 1t they
perform an amount Of maneuyering and downright
hard aborthat would appear impossible to the most
energetic party worker in New-YorlI or Pennsylva-
ma. Every school district is canyassed, and the
nono of every voter in the State IS returned TO the
Central Committee. As early as December list OF
absen: Repull ican voters is procured from every
town, with the place where every man is then re-
siding. Correspondence is opened with all these
abgentces, aud every one who Is Wiling
10 20 home 10 vote has his fare paid
by the Committee. Over 1000 voters are
thus brought back every year AZ expense Of from
s. to $50 each For tho distribution Of documents
tho manipulation Of the doubtful. the direct pur-
chase Of tho venal, and the bringing Of laggards to
the polls nothing could be more perfect and ehec-
tive than the Republican machinery. The Demo-
crafts do their best to initiate it, but they lack orgau-
ling copacitv Their leader, not agile and adrolt
enough and they arc unfortunate IN having a large
body Of Irish aud French Canadian voters, who fall
an casy prey to the corrupng arts of their antag-
onists Besides these foreigners there are many
ignorant and ayaricious natives, especially IN the
mountain districts. where life is hard aud $40 bill
is small fortune who regularly sell their votes to
the highest bidder Thus the Democrats are COM
pc,lcd To u,r a good deal Of money in hiring their
own men not TO dcgcrt to the enemy whilo the Re
pubiicnns, when they buy vote, generally capture
il from the other fde.
The reader will best appreciate the closences OF tho
sirugslc here after glanciug RI n table fhovng the
vote polcd by the two parties AZ every state cleo
ton for the past Gyc years aud therefore compile
.,cb a taIlo from TuF IRUTST iINANtC: