National Republican., 1880-10-04
TIE nAnnEL IN POLITICS.

THE BARREL IN POLITICS.
One of the strongest aud at the same
time one Of the most alarming features Of
politics developed within the last few years
is the introduction of the barrel into the
campaign rs leading agedcy in the nomi-
nation of ticket and its success ut the
polls, especially by the democratic party.
The democratic party has always claimed
TO be the special friend of the common peo-
pie, existing for their benefit principally,
and aiming TO stand us barrier against
the encroachment of the money power upon
the rights and prerogatives of the laboring
and de'enseless poor 1t has claimed to be
the enemy of concentrated and corporate
capital and extra privilege by which great
aggregations of wealth were made possible
in few hands 1t has claimed TO be opposed
TO the action of money upon legislative en-
actments and upon judges Of courts, execu-
tive offices, and all who have any voice in
the administration of justice and the settle
ment of disputes between the laborer and
employer and the poor and the rich.
True, this profession has not always been
sincere, and has rarely lowered into prac-
tice, but it has, nevertheless, stood MS a
menace or caution to capital to restrain in
some degree the propensity to ride in too
rough shod manner over the ranks of the
men of small means and the men of no
means at all, and in this way has not been
wholly useless.
In 1876 SAMUEL J. TILDEN was nom-
mated for the presidency and introduced the
barrel as an essential element in politics.
or course money was not unknown in cam
paigns before but it had come from divers
sources and many small streams, and in
such secret ways that few knew from whence
it was obtained, and it was not largely ap.
piled to illegitimate uses.
TUDEN, however, placed himself before
The men Of his party as a reformer backed
mp with barrel, and the proportion of re-
form to barrel was like the drop to the
shower, or the ant hill to Mount Washing.
ton. Reliance for victory was placed not
upon principles or character of the candi
date, but upon the size of his contribution
and the recklessness of its use. The bar
rel was the centre of gravity about which
the political globe revolved and the money
of the candidate worked the machinery,
and would have secured success but for q
mail higgling about paltry fifty thousand
at the critical moment,
The approximate success showed the fu.
ture possibilities of money, and the barrel
established itself rs q permanent institution
in the party. The convention of 1850 nomi-
mated HANCOCK, and then cast about for q
barrel and.nominated ENGLISH ENGLISH
was never man of any account in the
countryeor talent or character. He was re-.
tired to the lower depths of obscurity, where
but for riches he would have forever re.
mained but his enormous and ill.gotten
wealth made him an object of attention, and
30 we see man without following, with
out any personal attractions, without brains
and the representative of no living question
or policy, put upon the ticket to make NJ
for what was lost by leaving off TuDEN
The democrats of Connecticut Immediately
adopted the same policy and forced JAMEs
J.. ENGLISH into the field because of hi,
barrel. BARNUM WIS also nominated fol
congress for the same reason. In New
Hampshire FRANK JoNEs has been put ur
for governor because of his barrel, and in
Boston LEOPOLD MORSE and AXEL DEAR,
BORN are held up for congress by virtue oI
their barrels. And the late election in
Maine was largely influenced by money
not, however, furnished by the candidates
but by men in other states who could afford
a. d.. Of Mnipa Ia, ia,
market, for their ulterior purposes. Tn,
democratic committee in New York has OF
It six men not one of whom is rated under
three millions.
If this thing goes on, the result will b,
that only rich men can hold office. Wealtl
will hold the reins aud drive, and tn,
hopes Of three generations of commonpeopl,
will be annhilated forever.
This bald statement conveys no idea o
the meaning involved in the thing itself
In closing the door Of Office TO the poor MAJ
lhe enactment of laws and the adminstra
ton of laws will fall to the rich, whicl
would not be an entirely unmitigated evi
but for the fact that it will be the un
serupulous rich who will WELD the power
the jim FIsKs and DANIEL DREws Of In
stoc, exchange and the men who corGe
wheat and other necessaries Of life SO tina
Ipoor mans wnges shall all he gobblod T.
barely support existence. This will be tn
final result Of the introduction of the barrel
and it is the practical abolition Of he
government
Can il be possible that the poor men an,
midding men in tuis country are going t.
throw away their rights ,or the sake Of IN
barrel in politics?
THE republicans of Virginia have
strange experience in this campaign. The,
find their ancient enemy broken into fac