The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1880-09-22
The Maine Election.

graphic news reported that Plalsted'
the Fusion candidate for Governor,
had been elected over Davis, Re-
publican, by 5000 majority, and
that the Fusionists had elected
three out of the five Congressman.
Alter that the reports began to
grow more uncertain and indefinite,
both sides claiming the victory.
The voters of Maine ale the most
corrupt on the face of the earth; a
la"ge proportion of them make it a
rule to sell their votes to the high
est bidder, and each political party
has agents appointed to buy votes
just as corn and cotton are bought
in the markets. The following dis
patch to the Philadelphia Times
shows the methods adopted:
AUGUSTA, Me, September a.
The extent to which money was to
play a part in the election was not
magniied in this correspondence of
week ago. There is not county in
the State from which there are not
reports of the bribery of voters by the
payment Of money iu soue foru, and
the Fusionists Of Augusta, Portland,
Bangor and other places have fortified
themselves with attidavits, which will
be Forthcoming if necessary, showing
how great deal Was expended. la
some little towns it has become the
fashion for one man to agree to de-
liver so many votes for 81 much
money. This year these ballot,brokcrs
did thriving business, and either sold
themselves to both sides, with ne.
ccssary result of betraying either one
purchaser Or the other, or boldly held
auction aud knocked themselves down
to the highest bidder The way they
announce their being in the market
is to vote against their party at the
spring election 1t is then question
of whether they and their followers
which sometimes consist Of as many
as q hundred, but ottcucr of forty or
fifty votes, must then be placated by
one side or the other, on the most
available terms. Then there are iD
every community those VIGOROUSLY
ready to dispose of their own votes,
although they may not be able to con.
troll others. 4 fellow in this town
Was taunted yesterday with selling his
vote for three barrels of -four. lie
said he did nothing Of the kind, but
he only got one barrel and one went
to his uncle aud the other to MS
brother-iu-law. A country doctor told
NE that he had secured two votes for
his candidate for Governor by giving
two Of his debtors receipted bills for
the amount due him for medical at.
tendance. Said the venerable ex-Sen.
ator Bradbury, the last of Maine's
Democratic senators "Ccrtain thugs
have grown appalliugly in. late years.
Men who ten years ago would have
knocked you down fur suggesting that
they coull be bought will now stand
and dicker about the price, I men
tion these little things 10 show the
venality of large class Of voters in
this State, and to sustain the broad
charge could quote the testimony that
[ had within a week from u dozen
leading men in both parties. All
agree, moreover, that there has been
more vote-buying this time than ever
before. 1t sounds queer to hear the
Republicans bringing the charge that
Democratic money carried the State,
for the Fusionists have been noto-
riously poverty-stricken: and hereto
fore it has been the Republicans who
did nearly all the buying, and they
expected to do it this time.
It is not certain yet who has
been elected, es it Will require an
official count, and there will proba-
bly, be contests that it will take
some time to settle. One thing is
certain, however, that the RepHbli-
cans have received ! severe shock
in the election. They claimed that
Davis majority would be at least
5000, and it turns out not more
than one or two hundred, if he has
a majority at al. Tie following
are some of the latest dispatches:
PORTLAND, September Ill P.
M.-Four hundred and seventy.two
towns give Davis plurality Of S7S
against Fusion plurality last year of
l29.. Thirty-four towns not received
gave Fusion majority of 527 last
year. If they come in the same as
last year Davis will have left 303 plu.
rality. Adding the scattering to that
received we will have 4l6, so that
Davis will not get majority without
a further gain Of lii.
SENATOR BLAINE's SECOND THOUGHT.
New 3osE, September l7.-The
Irtbuac publishes the following lis
patch date,! Augusta, Me-, September
Is:
ia lphHriuw M~h, Tribune The
returns trom the country towns show
steady aud uniform gains in the Re-
publican vote, jus;ifyiHs our canvass
in every respect. lu Portland, Ban
gor, Bath, Biadcfo-d, Belfast and
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