Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-10-17
MOMEY ID kLENrIONs.

GoFF's election by the use Of money,
and then it proceeds to deny the charge.
1t leaves the public in the dark as to
who made the charge, yet it feels called
upon to deny generally before any spec
ifieations are made.
The REGISTER does not believe that
the Republican managers went around
buying up votes in the mode that men
would buy hogs or cattle. 1t dees not
believe that the Federal office-holders,
who drew their salaries out Of the peo-
pies pockets while they managed Mr..
GoFF's campaign, walked up to any
Democrat in this district an proposed
in plain words to purchase his vote;
and whatever the hntelligeneer's author
ity may say on the subject, the REGIS
TER does not believe that case Of the
bribery Of Democrat by any Of the
Republican Bosses can be maintained
in court of law. .. D..
Everybody knows that it takes mon
ey and great deabof it to run politi-
cal campaign, !" says the InteltigeReer.
That it takes money to organize and
manage successful political campaign,
we admit; but we deny that it takes q
great deal of 1t" to- foot the legitimate
election expenses Of small Congress
ional district.
Prior to the year 1870, the Republicans
had a most complete organization in
this State. 1t was organized, managed,
and manipulated at the expense Of the
people Of the State. In each county
there was q committee of three persons
appointed by the Governor, who was
the head of the party organization, who,
according to the rule laid down by the
Republican Legislature, were "distin-
guished for their loyalty" to their party
and their zeal in its behalf. These
three men constituted a county COM
mittee. who, in turn, appointed sub
ordinate in each election district, whose
| duty il was made to register all the truly
loyal voters in his district ten days prior
to the election, and send these lists to
the central authority-the county
board-fOr revision, and so the machin-
cry was carried out. The organization
was modelled pretty closely after
that OF Tammany Hall in
New York, and il the hands
off hold, bad and able man would have
been invincible. FOREMAN managed
it pretty well, but after he had hoist
himself into the Senate with the ma
chine it fell into the less efficient hands
of. Gov. STEVENSON, and was soon
smashed by voluntary organization of
those who had been mercilessly pro-
scribed by it.
AS was remarked, this was a most
complete political machine, and, as re-
marked by the IHteiigsncer, it took "a
good deal of money" to run it; but the
mOney-as in this late campaign-came
out of the taxpayers pockets, so the
Republican leaders didn't mind the Rx-
pense.
But the people began to get tired of
this political machine, which was cost
ing them many thousands of dollars
every year, so they raised purse by
voluntary subscriptions few of them
as early as 1868, to organize their
scattered forces in opposition to the ma
chine which was maintained at their
expense out of taxes wrung from them
against their consent. These voluntary
subscriptions for the years 1868, 1869 and
1870 amounted to the aggregate
sum of $3.50; and the organiza-
ton commenced in 1868 was steadily
strengthened in 1869, and made we'll
nigh perfect in 1870. AS an evidence of
| its completeness ut that time, it may be
stated that the name of every man en-
titled to vote in West Virginia, was
ON file In the Office of the chairman Of
| the State executive committee, together
with the post office address Of each and
his political leaning-the name Of every
man who could register, but who had
not, as well as those who were regis
tered. The doubtful voters were sup
piled with short addresses pertinent to
the issues then pending; local commit
! tees were formed for all the purposes of
| party organization, and signal victory
was obtained over the Republican ma
chine, all at the moderate expense of
about $1,000, distributed through three
years of time.
We have been thus particular in or
| der to show that, while sit takes mon
| ey" it does not necessarily take "a good
deal of it to run political organiza-
ton" honestly.
1t is proper to admit, however, that
since the introduction of the methods of
DORSEY and BRADY into Indiana in
1850, and the importation of the Star
Route methods into West Virginia this
fall, it might cost more money to man
age political campaign in opposition
to the Republican machine than it did
In 1S6S-70.
That the Republicans "spent money
and good deal of it" in this campaign
there Is abundant evidence. HOWE In
many ways. Is it bribery to hire q man
who usually votes with the opposition
party to work for some man on your
ticket, for which you pay him S., $40 or
so day, and he, accepting the ':job,"
not only votes the whole ticket himself
but brings others to the polls to cast q
similar ballot who would otherwise
have remained away, or, II coming,
would have voted as they had always
done before-with the opposite party?
Is it bribery to find poor
man out of employment and
n l.. Al