The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-08-11
THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION.

1t is well for the people or Pennsylva-
MIA TO understand at the outset that the
present campaign is to De a fight with
money in it, but the money will be used
on one side only. Even if both parties
and there are really but two parties
to the struggle. are on an equal footing
so far as financial resources are concern
ed, the men who are fighting for reform
are debarred by the nature of the contest
from going into the market for votes
and bidding against the Cameron ma
chine. No reform can come through
the success of a party, whatever its pre-
tensions, which wins by pOlluting the
ballot box, That the party which Sc
cures the offices by corrupt means will
make a corrupt use of them ever af-
forwards is a fact established by the his
tory of every country in which bribery
has at any time been a potent factor in
politics.
The Democracy is neither surprised
nor dismayed by the desperate programe
of the machine managers. When a Wig
orOus fight against the Cameron cOrrup-
tiOnists was decided upon it was eXpec-
ted that the machine would seek to
maintaiR its power by the use OF every
species of political knavery attainable.
Its tIiumphs, therefore, have been main
ly achieved by bribery and Illegal voting
and false counting. So many of its ad-
herents have been sent to the peniten-
tirry for the two latter crimes that they
are not likely to be INDUCED in as freely
as heretofore, but bribery, being less
easily detected, will be practiced by Cam
erOn's henchmen to a greater extent
than ever before known in the history of
the state. 1t is taken for granted that
every purchasable voter will be bought
by the machine and will work and vote
for the machine ticket. To these men
the Democracy and others who desire
reform in the politics of the country do
no no intend to make any frantic ap-
peals. The wretch who will make mer-
chandise of the elective franchise is lost
to all sense Of honor and decency, and
language addressed to his reason is
worse than wasted
But in spite of the Thousands of venal
voters VINO are expected to sell them
selves to the Cameron machine, the over
whelming defeat OF the ring cannot
be doubted. a vast majority of the peo-
pie of the Keystone state have sufficient
honesty and patriotism TO condemn the
faction whose main reliance in the pre-
sent struggle is fraud-land no man
needs to be told that a purchased vote is
morally and legally as fraudulent as a
vote gained by false counting or one cast
by repeater). If a majority Of the
people are ready to sanction the use of
money for corrupting the ballot then
republican government in this state has
practically ceased to exist, To indorse
bribery as legitimate is TO make the SER
wants of the people their masters ; is to
give the party in power the right to per-
l..
at each recurring election with the mon
ey taken from them by taxation. We
have too much faith in the integrity and
intelligence of the people to believe that
with their eyes open to the facts-and
the facts viii be so presented before the
campaign closes that every elector can
understand them-they will deliberately
vote to make themselves the perpetual
chattels of the Cameron machine.