The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-03-24
sstearns Of the Northern Railroad Rx-
prctIm.s 10 he United stntes senator.

prrtlus 10 he United states senator.
Tu he Editor Of the New York Sun:
sir have read your leader. rs Re-
form Possible?' 1t contains great
deal of solid and wholesome truth; but
nevertheless, so far as New Hnmpshire
is concerned it IL to u great extent
bascd on q misapprehcnsion. 1t ignores
two vital factors in the late election, viz:
the power OF Stcarns. the railway king,
and the power OF money.
No State can compare with this In the
thoroughuess Of its political organiza.
tions and their discipline Every ward
In each city Is treated as town every
town is thoroughly organized. The
leading men Of each party In each town
have II private poll book or tally list
which contains the fame OF every voter
III town, whether he Is Democrat, Re-
publican, or to be reckoned as doubtful.
There Is rarely any appreciable differ
nnce In the names aud numbers on the
poll books Of the two parties. This is
carried SO far that have known u town
with from 800 10 1000 names on its poll
list in which the name, face. and polit-
ical procliyiies Of each voter were well
known to the leading men of each
party. who could tell precisely how each
man was likely 10 vote
As a rule, these poll books show that
from one-fourth to one-seventh OF the
voters are marked doubtful" This
means that they will be controlled by
the amount OF money, free passes, Jobs
from railroads aud other corporations.
which they may receive. These things
are equally we'll known to the managers
OF both parties.
You are mistaken If you think that
the mass of The Republicans In this
State do not believe as thoroughly in the
rottenness Of the National Administra-
ton as yourself. They understand it
oil. but it makes no difference with their
votes The exposures OF BelkDap and
the general corruption in official circles
ut Washington, helped rather than hurt
the Republican party. II only spurred
the leaders to greater exertion, aad
cat ed them 10 put out more railroad
fayors and more money. Had the
whole Cabinet and the President been
impeached, it would only have increased
the majority, SO long as there was no
want OF funds
The simple truth is, that from two to
five thousand men vote in this State
every year who have no more legal right
to vote here than you have. About sixty
thousand Of the voters are what Horace
Greeley called the ''trained regulars.
They are perfectly sure, and the rest,
less the illegal vote are in the mar
ket. Their price ranges from u free pass
for few days TO 800 in cash. A rural
town, which | will not name, and which
is presumed to be respectable II any
can be, Within twenty miles Of this city,
! Is u marked. perhaps an extreme illus
| traton II has less than three hundred
voters. Fifteen years ago, u dozen votes
could not have been purchased there
! for money. At the last election 1t had
about seventy reliable Democratic, and
about seyenty-fye reliable Reppblican
voters. and about ninety were I'M the
market. The latter have. found out their
power ;they.eOhere together; they refuse
| to sell single votes; and whoever buys
must buy the block, unless the vote sell
ers quarrel, or the purchasers divide.
! 70 some extent the same Is true In
pany other towns which are close. This
vote trading is done openly by the side
Of the ballot boxes and In open town
meeting. One Of the Senators elected
this year, had, ut the election last
year, 20 buy up the town in which he
lived lie stood in front Of the door OF
the polliaig place with an open pocket
book. and dealt out the bills to the
voters he baught, ms they passed him, as
u gambler deais his cards The Repub-
Iican Legislature If last year, OF which
he was q member, defeated ~ stringent
bill to stop this brs berry because they
knew they had the advantage in money.
The'fact is shameful and bumiliating be-
yond the power Of words; but what help
have we? SIS reform possibief"
Mr.. Stearns is the President OF the
Northern Railroad, and controls that
corporation and its branches. He ex
peete to be United States Senator, and
probably will be. Every Intelligent
man Of both parties knows that the late
electiop represents nothing but the cor
porate power welded by this railway
king, and the purchasing power on
money. AN OLD oUBsckiBEh.
CoNcopD March H.