Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-08-15
A Good Idea.

The Springfield Republican sits out Of
the lot of talk that Elk Senator Dorsey has
been making since the star route trials
the allegation that Indiana was carried
by the republicans in 1880 by the use OF
money. And it says that an vestigation
into the matter by congress is inevitabl e
and that moreover such an investig alton
ought to be made.
We have not followed closely the "rev-
Citations" said to have been made by Dor
sey for after reading the first batch that
he unloaded against Garfield there seemed
to be vast deal of chatf and surmse 10
small amount of fact. But when Dorsey
says Indiana was carried by money in
1880 he knows what he is talking about
and is either lying Or telling the truth
An investigation into this matter, and
with it the whole subject of buying cleo
lions is thing that might do much good.
The freedom and purity of elections
are the foundation stones on which the
prosperity and perpetuily of The country
mus rest. If the voters don't judge right,
if a majority of them honestly vote the
wrong way, that is bad thing but this isa
IN 'jprity" country and the right way
must wait till it Can rightly have sway.
Inlim dation of all kinds, and purchase
of all kinds should have no place either in
elections or the preliminarles to them.
The south has great lesson to Learn for
its own good as well as those of the whole
country as to this matter of intimidation.
and as to an honest count which of course
belongs to the purity ofan honest election
And it is very likely that in certain places
in the north there are influences brought
10 bear By employers on those employed
that indirectly assai the freedom of ehc
tions These things wherever and by
whomsoever done should have that gener
al public condemnation which will at last
kill Them.
The use of money is sheep OF somewhat
different but, of as dirty color. Either
thing destroys the mission of the election
which is to give force to The real and hon
est will of the voters. The use of money
puts the government into the power OF
pockets instead of brains. And this as well
in caucus and convention as in the cleo
ton. Always the argument for its use is
specious; the good of he country r, quires
that just this once the election must be
carried and folks must not be TOO curious
as TO the means. And so men who have
money and who mean to make no bad use
of it put it up and it is disposed of by
managers" and "lhe coun ry is saved'
again. But it is rotted every time it is
saved in that way.
This use of money is made in both
parties Anybody who knows can direct
the inquirer after truth to localities and
men where no disguise is made Of this
fact and to men who know about its being
done. What were Barnunl's mules" in
Indiana in 1852 What did Dorsey 90 to
Indiana for id 1892 We believe in both
cases for the use of money to carry the
state election. An investigation to the
bottom would probably show that Dorsey
ulbought Barnum in 1890.
Then take the allegations against Hoad-
ey of Ohio; that is what the allegations
mount to. And if MIR. Hoadley did that
t is what dozens of others have done and {
While he is not sinner above others any .
more than Dorsey was in 1880 (cxcep /
perhaps in degree-for neither HoadIey /
lor Dorsey were in kind it is high time Il
hat this sort of thing be stopped. y
The great body of the men composing /
he two great parties want to go to the Il
POLLS and freely vote their honest convic- I
ions and not have their votes wasted BY i
he intimidation or purchase of other
'o,ers or the failure to count honestly the |
7otes that ar. cast. When the parties GET a
leated in big contest men in each al.
90 much inclined to ''let things slide"ant
zee if their side don't come uppermost in !
he scramble. I
Let an investigation be had into the
indiana performance s and into all such
anywhere, hit where it WI t
md let the "managers" of both the d
epublican and democratic parties be c
hamed and forced away from running q
by the purch use of votes. :.