Litchfield enquirer., 1878-10-31
How to Rebuke Corruption !!

Ing cause. lne real uHO0TlyiHg SIicfaHcc III tuiS case is the increasing political predominance of wealth among us. Looking ever the roll of the United States Senate, one is sastonished to find that it is to very large degree, a gathering of rich men. There are several mil lionaires, and, in the case of the Camerons, the senatorship is transmitted from father to son, as if it were an English dukedom. The same thing is noticeable, to modified degree, of our State Senate, where men of wealth are gradu- ally supplanting the rising lawyers who used to abound in that very select body of legisla- tors. -ss.. One occasion of this predominance of wealth is to be found in the great increase, the greater power, and the still greater necessities of as- sociated capital The Hon. Vim. D. Bishop consents to serve in the Connecticut Senate, not because he has any private, political am btions to further, but because the great corpo- ration he administers has interests to preserve that may be endangered by what they consider hostile legislation. It is not altogether love of the settlements of political life that induces MT. w. H. Barnum to spend a portion Of his valuable time at Washington He represents great business interests which are furthered by the influence incident to his senatorial po- sition. Even the new anti-rich-man's party finds itsmost notable leader in Millionaire Butler who spends money as freely as the Republi- can Cameron, or the Democratic Barnum. Senator Jones, nominally Republican, owes paramount allegiance to the Silver interest. For days and weeks, during last winters ses- sion, Senator Sharon neglected his public du- ties at time when single vote might have been decisive, because he considered his pri- vate interests paramount. In fact, business is still the real master of the rich Senator legis- lation, his recreation.
 Not only, however, does wealth seek the help of politics, in these days of millionaire legislators, but politics is equally eager to ally itself. to wealth. The corruptible vote is grow ing perceptibly larger, year by year, in com- parisOn with the incorruptible vote. Year by year the political manager finds the difficulty of managing his party without incfeased ex- pense growing upon him. He searches high and low for the man of means who will invest ~ in the political honors at his disposal. When the capitalist has been discovered who is will ing to advance his hard cash on mortgage of political honors, the political manager consid- CTS the rest of his work comparatively easy. The nomination binds the respectable men of the party; money buys the 'food-wood; ;" and the capitalist suddenly blossoms out into the ''popular" politician .. s
 Now with matters going in this way from bad to worse, is there no need of popular up- rising against the atrocious combination of wealth and corruption which is overshadowing the land? Let wealth deal honestly with the people in politics, and American Communism would soon give up the ghost. AS the matter stands, however, which of the old parties can say it has never sold itself for money-not once, but over and over again? How can we blame the rich man? He finds political pre-: ferment for sale in open market, and he buys 1t.
 All this happens in a community where not enc man in ten will sell his vote, because the very man whose own vote could net be bought will support a candidate he knows will buy the votes of others. The remedy is easy. If those who hate corruption will spurn the can didate who practices it, Mammon will soon cease to control the ballot box. The difficult ty lies in the cowardce and the superstition of honest and honorable men. People who are not afraid to do right at other times turn cow ards and hypocrites on election day. They fho of oI,o them in the very temple of republicanism :; they take no exception, but vote for the very can- didate whose vile agents they see busy around them. These men may be good Democrats, or good Republicans. Are they patriots? Are they even honest citizens?
 Next Tuesdays election is one of far graver moral, than political importance. The politi- cal complexion of the next Congress is not to be determined by its result That is settled already. The gravest issue, for us is whether plar of corruption-whose money has demoral' ized the Fourth Congressional District for years, and is now flowing like water in every doubt ful town throughout the state-shail be al- lowed to purchase for the second time the highest office, next the Presidency, in the gift of the American people9 He can be de- feated only by union of the best men of all parties to reject the representatives who will give him their votes
 Above all things Republicans must remem Der that they can never defeat corruption by mere moral talk. They must act morally They must repudiate whatever corruption the, find in their own ticket before they can per suade Democrats to unite with them in rebulS ing Democratic corruption. We ask nobod te hastily impute corruption to any candidate If nothing in previous elections demonstrate the character of a nominee, let the voter lool sharply about him on election day. He will SC certain agents who never work without pay practicing all their hateful arts; cheating threatning, buying, lying; hustling hal drunken men up to the polls; laborin. in corners with voters of easy virtue doing every thing they can, in short to degrade the suffrage and keep polite, disreputable. It will not be difficult te find who employ these men. Vote against tn, employer, whatever his party, whatever hi good reputation outside of politics In tha way, and in no other, can there be any cure c the dreadful epidemic of political corruptio that is sweeping over the land.
 Connecticut Senate :-ls75-S Manufactures T Fla mers, Lawyers, Meichants; 1877 7-6 Manufactu CTS. Farmers, Lawyers, Merchants; 1S7S- Manufacturers, Farmers, Lawyers, Merchant In T7 and '7S there insurance agent ol railroad president and one physician. In 'f7 sbus ness" men were in a clear majority as against fsrr CTS, professional men, &c.
 These is but one Senatorial election in u county, this spring,-in the Sixteenth Senate rial District. The Republicans have nomin, ted Hon. Leman W. Cutler, of Watertown, 8 excellent man for the place, in every respec The Democrats have put up Isaac B. Bristo of New Milford-one of the ablest politician in the state. He will poll an enormous m jority in New Milford and that vicinity, ar