Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-03-22
The Bribery and Corruption.
Washington Post, March III

Washington Post, March Z.
The Republican newspapers, with their
usual unanimity, assisted by one or two
Democratic editors who know nothing about
the case, are advising the House to have
no more to do with the Donnelly- Washburn
contest. If it is Of no account how man
obtains his certificate to seat in Congress,
so long as he gets one, this advice is good,
otherwise moi. The subcommittee to which
the case YVES referred has at length got
through with the testimony and made its re-
port, which is now held for action by the
whelmingly to the effect that Mr.. Washburn
bought his election as one would buy car
cass in the market. Two hundred and
ninety five distinct cases of bribery of vot-
ers have been proven and twice as many
more are charged. Hundreds of votes
were credited to Washburn
from counties where there were
| no settlements. A railroad was
being built through them and the laborers,
who lived in box cars which were hauled
from point to point as the rails were laid,
were induced by the oficious chooses" to
cast their ballots in cigar or candle boxes.
They were all for Washburn and so certified,
although not one was legally cast. Mr..
Washburn is also proved to have bought up
two Democratic newspapers-one on the
eve of election-paylng one hundred and
fifty and two hundred and fifty dollars there
for. Editors do not seem to rule high in
extreme northern ATTITUDES. Workingmen,
whose candidate Mr.. Donnelly was, had their
tickets numbered when they voted and thus
were terroriZed into either remaining away
in large numbers or voting for the man they
did not want. In this way Minneapolis, which
gave only three hundred and fifty-fve
majority for Hayes over Tilden, was forced
to give $3.50 majority for Washburn over
Donnelly. Three thousand Democratic
voters have been by these tactics kept away
| from the polls. Mr.. Donneliy carried the
| district, counting railroad votes, bribed votes
and all, outside of this city, by 667 majority,
and in a fair contest would have carried
Minneapolis also. The same intimidation
that was practiced upon the worklngmen of
the district is now sought to be used upon
Congress, and a concerted howl has been set
up that because the Democrats might reap
some partisan benefit from seating Mr.
Donnelly he should not, therefore, be seated,
no matter how strong his case may be.
Either Mr.. Donnelly is entitled to
the seat or he is not, and this should
be decided altogether upon the evidence.
The Republicans have never hesitated to do
what was right because it was partisan; in
fact they have never feared to do wrong if
their party was to be benefited, and we do
not have to 60 beyond the White House for
living illustration of this truth. Mr..
Washburn has not only plenty of money to
expend in the purchase of seat in Congress,
but enough to prevent his custer if money
will alone accomplish it. His agents are
suspiciously industrious, and, if report be
true, suspiciously numerous. The famous,
or infamous, Bill King has given Washing
ton the benefit of his unsolicited presence
for the last two months, and the fact that he
is warm advocate of Washburn's, on the
usual high moral grounds, of course, is only
to be accounted for on the general principle
that is understood to control this gentle
mans conduct.