Litchfield enquirer., 1880-05-20
The Salisbury Plan Extended.

that Mir. Tiden's choice, next after 5. Ja~T., himself, would be William H. Barnum, of this State. In the enthusiasm for ''dark horses" which the unpopdlarity of the better known quadrupeds is arousing, this year, we zee considerable commendation of this propo- sition, especially on the part of Republi- can papers. The Bridgeport Farmer re- marks:
 We do net know that Mir. Barnum isa Pres idential aspirant His acceptance Of the posi- tion of delegate at-large to the Cincinnati Con ventiou is an indication that there is no Presl- deutial 'sbee in his bonnet" But if the party should nominate him, Democratic victory would be assured and the White House would be most worthily occupied.
 We have no idea that MT. Barnum expects that he can succeed where Tilden is sure to fail. He undoubtedly means to be heard as to the man the Democracy do nominate. He is one of those men, however, who seeks power rather than prominence, and who knows that his is kind of power that is hurt rather than helped by prominence.
 The mere fact that Mir. Barnum's name IS mentioned at all in connection with the presi- dency shows how strong the Salisbury Plan is growing in politics. For in what consists Wm. H. Barnum's greatness? Is he an orator, a thinker, a statesman Is he such man as would iu times past have been thought of fol the highest public position ?-No; but he iss remarkable and successful 'business man. Yes. but America Is full of such, and wherein does he excel the rest Simply because he has earned "business" into politics. He was first a State Senator, then a Congressman, then Senator of the United States, heis now talked of for president, all because he haa shown tha he can make given investment of capital bring large return in politics A iudicious expenditure of money turned over the Seventeenth Senatorial District from Re publicanism to Democracy; more money turned over the Fourth Congressional District more vet. the State of Connecticut. MT. Bar. mum is great becausehe invented the Salisbury Plan.
 And what sort of a working plan IS thii Salisbury Plan? Is it democratic, or auto cratic?-Autocratic, aonerman power based on money. Does it bring forward good men in politics ?-Just the opposite; it throws practical politics into the hands of class of jobbers who buy votes at retail and sell them at wholesale. What is its effect on the peo- ple?-It demorslizes and debauches them; it organizes our entire purchassble vote into solid phalanx of corruption, with it's recog- nized agents, answerable to the central power. Tine result of the plan, pursued from year to year, since Mr Barnum came into power, has been to raise up class of citizens-each indi- vidual of which is well known to the ''practi- cal" politician of his vicinity-whese votes can be bought In few towns ia this county do we hear this class estimated at less than a tenth of the total vote-in the northern and western towns at 6 much larger propor- tion.
 Such has been the general corruption of pol itics by the Salisbury Plan. that the corrupt voter and the corrupt vote-broker, will be satisfied with nothing short of some million aire candidate and consider themselves inns posed upon when men of moderate means are nominated. In many towns we hear it con- stantly stated that matters have come to such q pass that men will not only vote for any candidate if paid; they will vote for no candi- date unless paid.
 Once started, the Salisbury Plan keeps on even after it leaves the hand of it's inventor. Republicans are ready enough to nominate a Salisbury candidate who will fight the devil with fire" and who can turn the very machin cry Mr Banum had prepared against him. Democrats are already on the lookout for a man of sufficient means to make successful contest. and they think they have already discovered just the man and just the money they need Soon we shall see Democratic eaucuses selecting delegates pledged to acandi date whnss name, if they ever heard 1t men, tioned at all, they have heard spoken of only with distrus:- Yet Litchfeld county is ex- prcted to be ''solid, and Fairfield, acquiescent and the Salisbury Plan made useful again to the party which first profted by it.
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