The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1879-10-10

Considering the N. mendons effort.
"A this + white lumel knight n the
hutile-nosc. assisted ~ the cn~h wl1,n.-
from Federal oflice-holaers. the lnSs NJ
seven thousand Republican votes III
Maine since 1876 i something remark
able. 4 .pondent IL the New
York Hcrnh writing from Augusta.
Me-. thus describes the method. II
Blaine and his coahintors in the recent
canvass IN That state:
\ Not al the votes which were cast
for Davis were secured from love II
the Republican cause or admiration u
~ honest dollar. Or party pre- judice. or
fear u Democratic ascendency. Ii i a
shame 10 b. Obliged 10 record that
there was much bulldozlng Of civil
ized sort rcsorted 10 by wealthy firms
and rich corporations and manufact-
uring establishments upon their poor
employees. Many workmen were Dis
charged for avowing their purpose to
vote the Grccnback ticket. Many
cases Of this nature can be named 10
The shame Of the State and our New
England civilization. Then the votes
~ many army and navy pensioners
were Influenced b. threats Of the Ex-
aiming Surgeons and Others that II
they did not vote the Republican
ticket their pensions should be with
drawn. This d;sgraceful appliance is
thought 70 have added materially 70
the vote for Davis. The search Of
Congressional Committees for cases Of
buildozing and intimidating voters
would BE- promptly rewarded BY visit
10 Maine. Ii would seem that Con-
greSs should take some notice Of the
threats made 10 the disabled defenders
OF the Union. and il j. understood that
the case Of one pensioner in Oxford
County. who was cut on account 4
joining the Greenback party. viii be
presented before Congress early in the
next session.
"Bey0nd the arguments on the stump.
distribution Of political literature. bull
doing Of employees and United States
pensioners. the Republicans employed
a lever which was more powerful and
effective than all the Others combined.
viz. money They evidently had
large fund. and they expended it Judi
ciously and 70 the best advantage. X
was raised at home. and the National
Committee gave permission to the State
Committee 70 draw upon il for a large
n sum as might be- necessary to buy the
State. All the Republicar State and
National officials were assessed five
per cent. on their salaries while all the
candidates were merciles>ly bled 10
raise an immense corruption fund. One
Of the mail-roufc agents on the train
from Bangor ID Portland was assessed
SD 30 on his salary Of $50. and sup
pose he paid il. for he i still running
on the train, and that would not be
possible had he refused. A country
postmaster in this district. with sala-
n OF SO. was forced 10 disgorge - %
a. his share Of the fund. Voters were
bought in this city like sheep in the
shambleS. and the same was true IN the
other cities and many Of the larger
towns in the State. The prices paid
for votes varied. and was somewhat
smaller than in former years. i am
told that IS. $40. SIS and $50 Were paid.
and in some instances SIS and $50.
and even as high as Sf5 were paid for
a single vote in the close districts. The
buying was carried on 10 some extent
on both sides, but the Republicans had
fund fifty times as large as their OPP
ponents and easily out-tripped them in
this race. Ii Is an encouraging thought
that after next year. If the biennial
Constitutional amendment be adopted,
rs now appears 70 be the case. the
moral sense Of the people viii not be
offended by the disgraceful spectacle
Of vote buying but once in two years.