, 1884-11-02
BOLD BERGMAN.
A Short Sketch of His Political
Record Here.
Openly and BrazenIy Buying Votes
at the Polls.
The Way he Again Seeks to Secure
Election.

Of events political cannot have failed 10
realize that, in all probability, the dis
graceful scenes of two years z will be
repeated here next Tuesday. In fact, it
seems thar an election by honest ballot
is not desired by the Republican party in
Wyoming, but in place of an election, the
purchase of office under the himsy pre-
tense of a ballot box, is the method of
obtaining political preferment. 1t is
stated as n proposition which every right
minded person will admit as true, thatth
purchase Of a single vote is a moral sin, a
crime before the law, and a blow at the
very heart Of the institutions which have
made possible the existence Of the United
States as a Republic.
1t follows, therefore, that the man
whose strife fer office becomes such a
passion that he is willing to violate the
moral and statute laws and defy the will
of the people in order to secure his cleo
ton, is unworthy of the endorsement Of
even one voluntary vote. Such men may
be found in Cheyenne, and indeed the
records of some of them are notorious.
A few years ago Mr.. Isaac Bergman
achieved some little success by reason Of Il
happy faculty to sell a No. A coat to a
No. 30 man; his adroitness in grasping a
handful of surplus cloth and thereby Great
ing a fleeing fit for an unsuspecting
customer, won for him the admiration of
untold amateur clerks. Eventually he laid
aside the barter of ready made merchan-
disc and engaged in politics. But the
commercial spirit was still uppcrmost, and
upsn commercial cunning he has since
depended for his success at the ballot
box.
Two years ago Mr.. Bergman was a can
didate for the responsible position of Gus
todian of the publicmoneys of this wealthy
county. The count of the votes in the
ballot box resulted in a decision that he
was the choice of the people for hat po-
sition of special trust and conidence. But
was Mr.. Bergman elected County Treas
urer by a popular vote? Most certainly
not. How did he succeed in obtaining
his majority over the opposing candidate?
BY purchased
Several hours before the polls closed on
the evening Of that memorable Tuesday
two years ago, Mr.. Isaac Bergman stood
near them openly and publicly buying the
votes of AL men who were willing to sell
their birthrights. So open and notorious
were these barters hat the public was
shocked and disguised. But still the ne
farious transactions continued until they
eliminated, just before the polls closed,
in the purchase of a nest Of votes by Mr..
Bergman, who waved aloft a handful of
g~reenbacks, the price of the ballots he
had hus obtained. After the sale had
been consummated, he and his friends
threw their hats in the air and gave three
cheers for Ike Bergman Three cheers,
the battle cry of freedom, given in cele-
bration of such a deed!
Popular opinion placed the price paid
by Ar- bergman at sums ranging from
s. to S25 for each vote. but the outrage
caused n sensation which did not end in
the room of the Grand Jury, where the
efforts to investigate the matter were
dropped.
Mr.. Isaac Bergman again hobs up
serenely this year, asks that he be CON
timed in office for a third term, and de-
clares through a Republican organ that he
MUST be elected. 1t is common street
talk that he will spend a barrel of
money in the ensuing election, and it is
openly affirmed that he is prepared to buy
every voter who is willing to barter away
his franchise.
Such is the political history of the man
who for the third time asks that he. be
chosen Treasurer of Laramie county.