Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1880-11-27
CONTAMINATED.
WHERE'S THE ELECTORALCOM-
MISSION

Quadrennial blossoms fruiting. Ev-
cry field officer rides over the field after
great battle; he has 10 make up his
report Of the conquest or of the defeat.
The democratic army met the enemy
one week ago to-day and have been cir
cumyented by usual means to-wit: Cor.
rupting use Of money, basely acquired
and corruptly used; intimidation by tho
army Of administration deputy Marshals
at tie polls, &c. The democratic con-
gress repealed the law authorizing this
engine of oppression at the polls by
attaching the repeal 10 appropriation
bills, but one r. b. Hayes vetoed the
appropriation bill, because of the re-
peaIng clasue of the iniqnitous Mar
shal's act, thereby shouldering the re-
sponsibihty of the non passage of the
appropriations. But unfortunately for
the democratic party, its congressional
sages instead OF adheriGg to what they
had done, jeopardized the Presidential
prospects by passing the appropriations
without the repeating rider, thus re-
pealing the deputy MarshaPs act. In
tact the democratic leaders have been
at sea ever since their cooperation with
the enemy in the grand electoral swim
die OF four years ago, when by their
stupid iniquity they sold The grand
achievement OF that period for less than
"mess Of potage;" and it now looks as
il The cause of our late defeat is attrlbu-
table to loss Of confidence on the part
Of the democratic voters in our congress
siOnal leaders, and especially in the
present congress, which has had the
power to either repeal much Of the par
ty legislation of the abOlitiOnists, or TO
checkmake the presumptuous vetoeS
OF fraudulent bull-dozer in the presi-
dency. 1t was worse than timidity TO
repass the appropriation bills without at
the same time getting rid Of the deputy
MarshalS. There was no earthly use
in taking position and backing down
from it, at the mere nod of executive
dictaton. Let the democratic party be
reorganized by putting men OF nerve in
front, and let the bond-hoding leaders
forever hide behind their controlling
money sacks. The love of money has
never shown itself so clearly the root Of
evil as in the present campaign. On our
side its security by investment, and on
the other side by prodigal expenditure
in corrupting the elective franchise.
We are shelved again for four years,
but we must remember the lsraeli;es
were forty years in the wilderness and
we have only been there twenty years.
They however, or some ofthem reached
the promised land, SO will We. Some OF
their leaders did net reach it and some
OF ours will also tall by the way, per
haps for fear Of sharks in the "red sea"
of principal and interest. There is in
the present practice of using money TO
secure political preferment by ctfice-
seekers an alarming future. AS long as
men can hold the offices they have OBJ
tanned by the corrupting use of money
or property so long will it be employed
for such a purpose and replaced by
populations in office afterwards. A
rigid law should be enacted IN every
State and by Congress, disqualifyiug
any mau from holding the office which
be "ad secured by the use ct money,
either directly or indirectly; not only
go, he should be DISTINGUISHED. But
who is to enac! such laws, the legis-
lators both State aud Federal have sue.
ceeded by their money instead of by
their merit. We ought 10 learn les
son from the ancients; in the cleo
tion of the Roman Consuls and Proctors
there was an interval between the cleo
tion ard time of taking their Offices il
order that charges might be brought, if
there were any, against them forbribery
and corruption, and if it were shown
that such means had been used, the
person fosnd guilty could not take his
seat; and when the pure minded Cato
was in the way Of the conspirators
against the Roman liberty; Pompey
and Crassus obtained decree changing
that provision IN order that no tine
should be given to make charges or
ascertain their validity; but by immc-
diaiely inducting them into Office by
the partizan partiality of their returning
boards. thereby excluding virtue and
honesty, the Roman Republic fell into
The CatiliDe conspiracy. II the signs
of the times are not deceptive, history !
is repeating itself iu our elections. Mark
well there will be Catiliue when the !
end comes, aud he may be even now
with some embrio Caesar. There
have always been Benedict Arnolds |
lurking about the halls of legislation
awaiting the favored opportunity, bnt
thanks 10 a sleepless democracy the
opportunity still liugers, bu. If ever our
.ried and true constitutional party
should cease to stir mp the people 10 !
heir political freedom. liberty would
pass from The republican citizen OF