Mexico weekly ledger., 1880-11-18
MONEY IN ELECTIONS

/ Mexico. Mo-, and admitted for transportation
through the mails ct second-class rates.
MONEY IN ELECTIONS.
There Is nothing connected with
politics in this country Of more dan
gerous tendency than the use of
money in elections. oaice-holders,
and rich men may pro-
claim that they contemplate nothing
either Illegal or immoral in their con-
Of vast sums to be spent at
will by those that organize parties
and direct partisan efforts ; but, not
withstanding those declarations, the
fact remains that the system they
support is a dangerous menace to the
permanent integrity Of the ballot box.
OF recent elections a leading paper
declared: "The election tax is enor-
nous and the chief qualification for
candidature Is q Bar'l." Another
journal gravely congratulated the
country "that rich young men were
willing to enter upon public life,"
and still another soherly announced
that cit is believed that sums as high
as $4,000 were exacted in some in-
stances from candidates for congress
alone"
One Of the strangest things con-
nected with the decentralization and
danger that necessarily accompany
improper use of money in a political
campaign, is the fact that among
those that contribute most largely to
''machine funds are many that are
regarded as moral and even religious,
who go to church regularly, and
build and maintain sanctuaries.
Much has been said and written of
late about the gain to political moral
ity, that might be derived from the
exhibition Of greater interest in cleo
tons upon the part Of successful and
christian business men. Some such
good results might possibly reward
effort in the right direction; but if
such exhortations are to have no bet
ter outcome than in the past cam
paign, they had better have been
omitted. Instead Of taking hold of
politics with the view of benefittlng
society, these men have been govern
ed by selishness, and have sought to
gain their ends by means to which
they are most accustomed, the use OF
money. No excuse Or justification
of what has been done can be made.
These men knew, if they had any
knowledge at all. that a part at least
of their contributions would be spent
to procure voters and repeaters, and
reward marshals and deputy mar
shals in an election with which they
had no right to NEEDLE, through any
but such honest means, arguments
and p%ersuasions as might be address.
ed to honorable men,.
In submitting to be subsidized, fed
eral office holders we're animated by
desire and determination to hold
their situations at any cost. The
rich young men alluded-to, mlstaking
itch Of notoriety for the pressure of o
]audable ambition to serve ones
country, were willing to pay for the
qualification of their desires, as fol
other pleasures, and bankers and
manufacturers sought, by what ap.
peared to them to be judicious out
lay, to maintain their franchises and
the governmental bounties, and pro.
'ections that made them valuable.
They all liked the Republican party
because it made them what they are.
They favored the federal election
Jaws, because without them that party
had no chance of sustaining itself,
and they gave their money to its
Iuachine managers, because they
thought it would be spent to best ad.
vantage by them, IN getting for them.
what was wanted.
1t would be an interesting inquiry.
and might be useful in disabusing
rich men, who entrust money to
,halrmen Of committees, of their con.
tidence in agents, 10 investigate into
what has become of the money, that
vas raised this fall for political pur-
loses. But, by far, the most inter.
tsting question arising out of recen,
J violations is how long a such
Things be done without undermining
md topling yer u social and
official fabrics? If the interior
ere as easily dominated by money
- are the cities, their existence
ould be short indeed. Most proba.
bly, government Of the people for the
people and by the people would be
speedily wiped out but fortunately
. better condition of sentiment and
conduct still prevades our wide
spread territory, and although local
elections can be carried by such arts,
AID even a President placed in the
White House, it is, nevertheless, still
h. the power of the people to correct
such abuses. There are no worse
fees to free institutions than those
N.at preach that it is impossible to
pat q stop to such practices in the
h.,oo fhoy will ovorr o,roSr 40 hor ~s oro