Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-02-09
MONEY IN POLITICS.

Great Britain has branded as a high
crime the purchase Of the British voter
A theft in office, violation Of public
trust, broken statute, all are punished
quickly and inexorably, and from Lord
Bacon to the Glasgow bankers, from
the bricklayer to the peer, the wound.
ed law is avenged in the criminal, high
and low. But nothing is followed with
such stern and sudden icrocity as the
paying of money for the ballot That
is set apart as a crime dark as forgery
and shameless as rape. have spoken
Of the boldness with which somo OF the
pious frauds Of Philadelphia resorted
to this infamous system TO defeat Gen.
Hancock and now that we are in the
midst OF another holocaust of sacred
things, another sacrifice of suffrage in
the progress Of State legislature, oho.
sen to register the DEGREES of few or.
dinary men, some reference to the
British law on the subject may be use
iul Justin MoCarthy's wonderful
book, the second part of Men of our
Time, describes tho present condition
of EAglish practice for the punishment
of bribery:
"As In former ago no gentleman thought II
wrong 70 seduce a woman, 90 in q very recent day
no man with money thought Il improper to spend
some OF his money in corrupling electors What
cen'ure was 1t likely country squire would have
got, hity years ago, II accused before a council of
iquires Of having seductd some tenants wife or
daughier' Just 80 much would rich man have
got, twenty years ago, from parliamentary com.
mit,ee, II !, were proved that he had allowed hi.
agent to lay out money ingoniously for him In
bribes. Then, again, the decision Of the parlia
montary committee was very often determined
by the political opinions Of the majority Of its
members.
There had, therefore been for long time an
opinion growing up that something must be dono
to bring about a reform, and In 1867 A parlia.
mentary select committee reported In favor Of
abandoning altogether the system Of referring
election petitions to tribunal composed Of mem.
eers Of The House Of Commons. The proposal Of
ms committee was, that srery petition skoRd Be
rqerred 70 one qf The jadgts of he superior court.
al Wesiaiasier, with power 10 decide both law
and TACT. aud TO report not only as to the seat
but TO the extent OF bribery and corruption in the
constituency. The judges themselves strongly
objected 10 having such duties Imposed mon
them The Lord Chief Justice stated. On tbei,
behalf that he had consulted with them. and was
charged by them. one and an, 10 convey I, tho
Lord Chancellor their strong and unanimous feel.
ing OF insuperable objection to undertaking fone.
tions the effect Of which would be to lower and
degrade the Judicial Office. aud to destroy, or AT
an events materially impair the confidence Of the
uuhlin In tho fhnraftrI O.
integrity Of the judges, when Ia tho course Of
their ordinary duties political matters come Incl
dentally before them. Notwithsandinr the oh
Jecuons Of the judges, however the Government
after having made one or two unsucoessful experi
menis at measure 70 institute a new eouft for
trial ol election petitions, brought in A bin 10
refer such petitions TO a single Judge. selected
from ist TO DO made BY arrangement nmonp
the Judges Of the three superior courts.
"ol late years some really stringent measures
nave been taken against bribery. Several Dor
oaghs have been dniranchisod altogether because
o. TIE gross and leemiugly ineradieable corrup-
non mat prevailed there. Time education, aud
public opinion will, probably before long, cleanse
our political system Of the stain Of bribery. ne.
ioro long. surely, Il WI be accounted As has, 10
give as to take a bhbe."
The practice OF corrupting the voter,
nrsl NJ the ball0tbOX, and then IN his
place as member of tho legislature.
was not known until Simon Cameron
openly bought his scat in the Senate
Of the United States. Before that day
men were elected without reference to
their money Since then, not only has
The practice Of purchase been common,
but in Pennsylvania, with few excep. !
lions, the practice has ruled out hun. |
irods OF able and deserving candidates
or the Senate and other places, and
confined the choice to class instituted |
y Cameron and his family. The Dem. |
'crats sometimes carried the legisIa. |
urc, and thus secured the Senator
'ut as Cameron always elected him.
eli by his money, and after that his
on TO the same place, the great office
i United States Senator BECAME a sort
u family possession. 1t is interesting
o note that the only factor in elccting
uch Senators from Pennsylvania was '