Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-12-07
FRIDAY MORNING. DEC. 7. 1888.
PURCHASED ELECTION.

The last PreSld6Htlal election Will go
down to posterlty in the list of those
which have been unbIushingly carried by
the Republican party by the use of money.
The contest of 1875 was not more memora-
Bile for the counting out Of Mr. Tllden. than
it was for the unbiushing payment of every
man concerned in that counting out. by
the gift of a lucrative Federal Office. The
list Of offices given to the members of the
State Electoral Boards, and their aiders
and abettors, for the counting cut Of the
Democratic electors in Louisiana and
South Carolina, makes three pages Of the
"Congressional Record and has been re-
peatediy read in Congress to the shame of
Hayes and his administration and It's sup
pnrters. But it was found then that paying
for States with Federal offices Was piece
of rascalitY that had to go on record. and
therefore could not be repeated too often.
So. when the next four years came around
the Republicans adopted the plan of buying
State outright. The corruption practlced
in Indiana in 1890, and which was en-
gineered by Stephen A. Dorsey, after
wards Of ''Star route" notoriety. is yet
fresh in the memory of the American pe0-
pie. And no less well remembered Is the
commemorative dinner after wards given
in New York, at which Chester A. Arthur,
then Vice President elect Was present,
and at which it was boasted that Dorsey
had carried Indiana by the use of ''soap''
and for q share in the use of which soap"
W. w. Dudley was afterwards made Com
missioner Of Pensions. It was soap that
had done its work we'll. for it is well
known that had net Indiana, then an De-
tober State, gone Republican on its State
ticket and been made fast for November.
Gen. Hancock would not have been de-
feated. In this case, only the men who
had raised the money" were awarded
with office by Garheid's administration,
and not many Of them. for the case Of H.
diana had attracted too great attention
from the people Of the country. But the
buying of whole State had been found
to work well, and this plan WAS thereafter
preferred to buying and rewarding cleo
toral boards.
When the campaign Of 1888 was En-
tered upon, it was determined On as q
''boodle' campaign On the part of the
Republican managers. The first eff Jrt in
that direction was the now famous ''fat-
frying circular. Mr.. John Wanamaker
Of Philadelphia, who had been conspicu
Gus in raising funds in 1880, was again in
air of M
W. Dudley was again 10 the field as the
corrupt disburser of them. He sent tC
the Chairman Of every Republican COUNTY
Committee in Indiana a circular of which
the following is an extract
Your committee will certainly receive the
fna'acia! assjstatos Necessary ohogd our footsrs
and grin enough oftse Other kind to gjge Harri-
son and Morton 10. 600 plurality. ** Dioide
tile tloatsrs into blocks Of foe md put trusted
man acittnecsssa,y funds in charge Of ttess ttct
and make him responsible that none get aDas
and that all cote our tjcset.
In the meantime. John Wanamaker anG
those like him, were pouring funds into
the Republican National Commitoee's
Treasury, by which such expenses as Mr.
Dudley's circular incurred were to bt
liquidated. He has the credit of havins
raised $500 900 for that purpose, tina
being of corrse only small part of thu
whole. Indiana AMI New York wert
flooded with money from the outside
Pennsylvania having the credit of having
sent to New York alone $500 900 few
81 oil
having no registration law is always al
easier prey than a State that has, ant
DudieY's circular was put into full forct
there. Money was used SO openly ant
shamelessly there. that it has aroused tin
general indIg nation of the thinking PEG
pie of all parties. Judge Gresham. the
Republican Judge of the U. S. Circuit
Court-who received large vote al
Chicago for the Presidential nomination
and who Was Interviewed last Tuesday a
Indianapolis, said:
''There ought to be reform in our State
electoral system, and unless the State take
steps to stop the corruption at the polls con
dition of affairs will be produced to which tn
rebellion will not be circumstance.
SIT is the p1tarisees acho are doing this, it
men of prominence and respecta5i5ity e0to rails
large sums Of money k'aosojng the use that tie
qciH be put to. men agA0 deaJ openly in co1rup
ton one day and go to church the meet.
1t is these men who bring disgrace upo
the State. You may convict hundred-yes
even thousand-obscure voters for bribery
but the effect upon community would be Al
nothing compared to that which would follow
the conviction of one prominent man,"
The extent to which the bribery and
corruption of last month was carried
has apparently aroused the better though
of the people all over the country. The
facts about it have been gathered with
such detail and minu5eness Of person ans
locality, that at last it would seem tha
the perpetrators staud at least a fai
chance of being made to undergo lega
prosecution. In our neighboring State O
West Virginia. it is probable that th 81
will be some prosecutions that will opel
up the story. In New Jersey there ap
pears to be the same chance, and il
Indiana and New York it may be counted
on as certain. One result, at least, vii
be the inevitable outcome of these prose
cutioGs and that is that, hereafter. cleo
tions On which hang the welfare Of tht
Nation will not be treated as occasions O
which bribery and other rascalitIes ar
legitimate elements, and tbs results O
which will be accepted as legi5im ate ey
pressions OF the will of the people, whethe
they are brought about by chic anery OF
the honestly cast votes Of those peopis.
The exposure will have get anothe
merit. It will show the people that they
must destroy the fountain Of this corrup