Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-01-27
Walks and Talks A bont Town-Ho. s


Presidency and the others to leap into divers
other fat and comfortable places whereof the
civil serVlca rule is that tho le:s work the more
pay, those receiving The highest salaries Ho:k-
Ing shout ono hour. and these getting the low
est about six hours per Day. Oac ycar of the
Presidential eli c:iOn. A. d., 1900 that in which
Jefferson was chosen, Was not leap yesr for tho
rulc OF tours 10 calculating esp year IS suspended
| when the even centuries conc to pass, but alI
Other years Of our Presidential elections are
leap years. The excitement, tho turmoil, tho
| Incidents OF these stirring timcs we're once not
| dangerous In!oXications CT tho body pol!tIa.
The stump, when tho cnuptry was divided upon
practical quesIionS-whcn Henry Clly repre-.
scented the party Of progress Hithin, BY build
log un sound aud prosperous national Elin and
Jas. *. Polk, the party of progress without, by
| the extension Of tho area ct' freedom and the
CREATION OF new States whose varied interests
| would stop ths progress ot oantraiIHa!Ion--iu
| such times the stump Was q great educator.
| Men listened to statesmen who had devoted
their lives 10 Stale craft and knew whereof
they spoke not that the amusing illustration
was unknown, bnt tho rbalI jake was kept out
by 40 atmosphere of gentlemen. lIp0n one
such hastings at Charlotte G.. H., Patrick
tlcnly and John Randolph, Of Roanoke, met
10 confess and have aaAn at one time upon tho
Alexandria stamp. Alexander Ii. Stephcus
Robert Toomts. Henry Winter Davis. IIar.
mOnson, OF Louisiana, James S. Nrcrn. and
others OF like uoic.
The var cnded that, and il has uavcr been
fully restored. Tic source ct th: change is, |
think, TO be found iu the fact that Candidates
lind that appeals TO the Judgment Of men grow
to &c OF less aud less Importance rs 4 ncana of
succcs9, md that what is called work" ia tho
ono thing nccdtn in political contests. "Wo!k'
needs money. Even cOporiUuIs do not dis
tribute tho biblo for nothing, Az the editor OF
tho Southern Churohmnn haa abundantly
proved. Aud somo times it is moro certain
and even cheaper TO buy voters in the rough
than to pay mcn to plain them out and ;Quare
them to your PURPOSES. SO that our political
races come often to be run By old nags, sired
by tho scrub Greed cut CT tho dGm ian u
J might we'll DO added) Ambition.
And what men buy they will sell; ''yos l--n
you, said druDkon member OF Parliament to
} his constituents Il bought you for { 900 sid
I'm trying to sell you a. profit.
1t Is curious TO nOto the dccaicnc0 Of nO!i!i-
cal platforms. Tho Wing platform OF Isl had
all its planks clear cut, plain in language; Of 8
|
forms Wero rounded of SO That their meanings
might bo varied to suit circumstances. And
BY an Irregular but certain Development this
rounding oil has gone en- ultil tho regular 20
. lit C Il platform has become
/ A BARREL!
A Baltimore journalist told mo that when
lloDry Winter Davis camo first To Baltimore,
E during political contest, he VA, carried to a
1 xuh, ah L
ing cut money Tor "i'woIiih ward" Eighth
ward, Second ward" &C., ard tying up tho
parcels 10 paper, on etch Of which they wrote
the pamo OF some ward politician. Put UT,
MIR. Davis. put up cried the crowd. "IIl
put my foot up indignantly responded tho
quandsm Alcxandrian, and kicked The table
over. lilo had himself just declared inst both
tho old parties wcro 'Wagng sc.ndalous COZ
test Of tribcry aud fraud" Let mo hopo ho
afterwards lived up to bis GrGt proceslops, acd
that The political Advancement which Virginia
debicd him was won iu Maryland by means ss
honest and straightforward ls those ho used in
Alexandria. After all, is it not timo something
was dono to check this evil? | All tcli that q
man can stand iJr 20 Office that no is nc. i'm
mcdiately surrounded by demands varying from
the party assessment in proportion to tho
value of tho place 10 five dollars to hurry my
father, ora ten oonts to get shaved" Gao
candidate was stopped Dlco times by such
"lrcnds' between Fairfax and Washington
streets. There ought to b an end to This sort
OF thing made BY law. I1dccd, the law already
makes an attempt 10 that direction. The code
euacts that ''iG any FREQ persons di
reclly or inIir ely give to voter in any cleo
ton any goods, mouoy or ohallrls undcr 90
agreement, expressed or implied, that suth
voter Shall give his vote for q particular can1-
date, srcl person shall be puriShcd hy iino not
less than $50 nor moro than 500. And the
Voter receiving such money, goods and chaila!a
10 purSuaT cA OF such agreement shall b. pun.
lahed 10 like manner with tho peranna eiviom
tho same"
This may Well bo termed an a,t 10 drca:c On
ottcbo1 and obId proof OF lis c,nm.ssinp Tor
IN bribery cases there or. not likely TO bo moro
than Two parties, and the acL Ia cfIGc! declares
that tho witness shall hn punished equally with
the criminal.
How would ihis do bs an amendment?
AN Acrtn prevent the dollar OF Tho dsaAicR
from brlbirg thor Sons
| BE II enacted, &c. Tho following u..sons
SHALL be deemed guilty Of bribery, and shall he
punished accordingly:
j.. Every person who shall drncLly OF ind.
rectly, by hmself or by any othor person on hi4
Dehslt give, lond or sgree 10 giYo or lend, ur
Pi"iiilSSi VI FEunilSD 10 procure or To
| ondeavor To procure any !Gonay or valusbl,
consideration, 10 or for any voter, nc To or for
any peraon on bohslr OF any votar CT TO OF for
any other person r order to induce any voter t.
vote, or to refrain from voting, Or shall corrupt
| ~ DO any such act es aforesaid "a account ci
| such voter having voted or rnfraina1 iron, yat.
| ing at any election.
| Every person who shall directly or indi.
rectIy, by himself or by any othor person in biz
oehali' give or procure, or agreo 20 give or pro-
| cure, or ollar, promise or promise to procure, or
TO endeaVor to procure any fiji 70. placo or ON.
| ploymen TO or for any votor, or TO or for any
person on behalf of any voter, or TO OF for any
other person in order to induce such voter TO
vote or to refrain from voting or shall corruntly
40 any act az aforesaid on account Of any vdter
having voted or reffaihed from voting st any
election. " '
8: Every nerson who shall directly or inii.
recty by himself or any other person on his boz
hall make any such gift. loan, cllor, promise,
procurement or agreement as aforesaid, TO or
Tor any person, in order TO induce such person
70 procure the election of any porson TO any of.
nco within this commonwealth OF tho voto of
| any voter at any election. -
1 4