Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-08-18
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The Nashville Banner should not
confound the CHRONICLE with our
esteemed local contemporary, the
Tobacco Leaf 1t was the CHRONICLE
and not the Leaf whose powers of
penetration were not equal to the task
of divining why a corruptor is not
necessarily corrupt, in politics as we'll
az elsewhere. We are sorry to say
that the Banners lucid illustration of
this point has not been able to remove
the scales from our eyes and we still
believe that the party or individual
that goes into the business of buying
votes is rotten with corruption, and
that the individual should be punish
ed and the party consigned to oblivion.
1t matters not if the disgraceful prac-
tice Is engaged in by Henry Clay and
Ike Caldwell in Louisville, or by the
Republican party, organized for the
purpose, throughout the whole Union,
the oilense is the same and reeks with
rottauness, and the rascals should suf-
fer the deserved penalty of such crime.
We are sorry that the Banner
should, even in spirit of levity, offer
any excuse for such a practice and
elevate the giver of brides over the
taker thereof. Our contemporary does
itselfno credit and lily sustains its q
dependant position by its implied en-
dOrsement of this extract from "an
acknowledged Republican organ" the
Cincinnati Commercial Gazette
Why should Dorsey or any one else
go on whining about parties raising
money in New York for presidential
election purposes? There has not been
a presidential election for fifty years
IN which money was not largely con-
tributed by the rich men of New York
to both parties. There has not been
republican elected president from Lin
coin to Garfield without the help of
New York money, and there has not
been democrat defeated FROM Doug
las to Hancock who was not supplied
with the sinews of war by New York
millionaires.
There is certainly no doubt that
money is spent in all elections, but
how? Campaigns have their legiti-
mate expenses, that it takes money to
de:ray. Speakers expenses are to
be paid and there are number of
other ways in which money can be
used To aid a party that is no way OBJ ]
jectionable, but that does not legalize
vote buying. There is a broad distinc-
ton between such legitimate use of
funds and the purpose to which those
crisp two dollar bills that flowed from
StepheRson's bank were applied. Such
utterances as that from the CONNER
only serve to show that the
corrupt Republican machine has no
excuse to offer for its illegal practices.
If vote buying has been in vogue since
the days of Washington it is no less
wrong on that account, but we don't |
believe that the systematic manner in
which the Republican party went into
hat business in the last campaign, has
ever had its prototype in the Nations
history.
The Banner adjures us to fOrsake
political organizations and seek purity
IL independence. Passive Independ-
NEE, such as the Banner practices,
hat keeps a sullen seat on the fence
md is afraid if it speaks too loudly of
he wickedness OF one faction it will
DC classed with the other, can accom-
llish no reform. Our contemporary
will do well to adhere to what it first
aid, THE Republican party with its
corrupt ways must go"