The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-12-14
ELECTIONS CORR UPTlON.
WHOLESALE BUYIN0 or vOTES ~ Tus
STATE or CONNECIItUE

Towns that Cannot be CARRIED witAou, 49,
Uss OF Money-Thc Views or ronurcs.ms.
-Fsets Admttted-ltow Money 4. Used.
WASHINGTON, Dec. l3-Tho startling s,or,
Of corruption ut elections In the State u Con.
nectcut which was published in TIKI Sun on
Thursday. has excited comment among Con.
necticut men at tho capital. Not f,w ADM,
that the facts areIunimpe hchablo. They SAY
that the growth Of manufactures in the S,ats
has brought with /, political corruption; tia,
social distinctions have boon established
and that the very rich manufacturer
virtually own tho very poor oreratiyea
The political dry rot has extended from
town TO country. 10 that entire communities
have become domoralized The use OF money
at elections in Connecticut" said Il prominent
nutmeg politician who has tho reputation Of
being square man. was begun years ago
but tho practice has grown into grave and
widespread abuse only In recent years. Tho
most demoralizlng canvass tho State ever saw
was when william II. Barnum and +. T. Bar.
mum ran for Congress several years ago. Tho
towns In that district were hard places forpoor
politicians for lon. iimn man who has once
sold his vote viii be in the market as lon.yaa
he lives, and in course of tiinc his price Ia
known TO dollar, There are towns in tle
State that cannot boAcarricd without thu i'm.
proper uso of money, and the men who run ior
office have got tho matter down to ~ NM
point in arithmetic that they ngurs on the
cost OF an election to n fraction. know Tiers
is Wholesale vote buyinE IN CONNECTICUT yet I
his way and could not prove sill .lo case Of
bribery IN court OF justice
The Connecticut representatives. In Con.
gress as q rule do not want to reflect in any
way upon their constituents, and are chnry %
h. I SninEiHH Mar 2p yr Mo"o ntes.
eeSmss 'e o sna w@ S me
to believe that tho clo.enrss o. tho vo,o was
due in part TO Republican money lie snid.
nG,waver; an nn d h'i n o,e Mny marx mn,D;
thing In my district both PARTIES implanted
this Year of an unusual scarcity Of funds / know
in I'M my py' dstrict Bc,hehem and New MiiS SH
il was the common talk that many vo,ra Mere
be impossible PERHAPS to prove that hrbery
vas prnGssed do hknSw 'noqF9 ina, ,GEs
will go TO the dogs if II isn't stopped. Ii IS time
good mon OF both parties stood together In
hs Ssw York d op v" S, s to
The Hon. John i. Wait. the Oldest member
I les OF Seg London and ane iH S 7:
times. He said: An enormous sum OF money
undoubtedly was spent in Connecticut at tho
year than in 1875 and 1880, The great.
or part Of the money raised is used in
and fireworks. and having railroad excursions
to big meetings. Too much OF this business
certainly is GemoraliZinE. Our elections cost
to- much. do not believe. however. that men
sell their votes to any such extent as is alleged.
There is in every community set of follows
who strike candidates for money but they do
not represent the mass Of the people. who ara
honest and virtuous. We are neither worse nor
better than other States in this regard"
The veteran William W. Eaton was defeated
for reduction in the Hartford district. and wal
should appear rs one having n grievance He
agreed In the ma with Congressman Sey.
mour that while there were purchas-able yotel
in many towns. there was no Wholesale bribery,
He did not believe an unusual sum OF money
WAS spent in Connecticut any more. in fr ct. 10
proportion than was used in other States. lie
thought a great deal was sIuandered In show
and parade that might as we'll not have been
spent. He hoped the people would return ID
simple methods at elections.