Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1888-12-22
A CORRUPT BALLOT.

AS the tumult of the recent politi-
cal contest rolls away, so that par
ticular parts of the field can be
scanned, it becomes more and more
evident that the cash purchase of
votes was an enormous factor in the
election. The press of the smaller
cities and towns, of both political
parties, teens with particular in
stances of buying by wholesale and
retail. The Watertown Times IRE
publican) judges that something
over 300 votes were bought in that
city at an average price of $50 each.
"Both parties" it says, event into
it apparently by mutual consent"
So openly was the traffic carried on
that boasts were made by both buy
ers and sellers, the former of their
success in getting what they paid
for, the latter of their smartness in
getting n months wages for II days
work, or rather for days idleness.
The Watertown Times very justly
observes that for every vote bought
this year two must be bought next
time, and that the price will rise in
proportion to the importance of the
election, and that unless stop is
put to the practice, the Republic
will cease to exist.
What is important i'm such crisis
is not to fix responsibility upon one
party or the other, but to take steps
to save the fabric of government
from swift destruction. We are in
deed, at the turning of the ways.
If we go as we are going, the insti-
tutions that we prize so highly will,
in few years, be submerged in cor
ruption. The contagion of vote
buying and vote-selling will spread
and increase until elections will
cease to have any political signifi-
Cahcc; the national policy will be at
the disposal of the largest purse.
No condition more hideous can be
imagined. Popular respect for pop
ular institutions will dwindle away
and gradually cease to exist: young
men and women will grow up to re-
gard government rs the prize of bri-
berry; the moral tie that binds socie-
ty together will be unloosed.
The vote should be held to he
SACRED.
1t is the distinguishing badge of
II free man. The responsibility is so
great, that it does not cease with
the dropping of the ballot into the
box, 1t goes beyond that. War
may result, thousands of lives may
be sacrificed, millions of treasure
destroyed, towns and villages may
be desolated and the country be-
come bankrupt through the casting
of votes by men who accept bribes.
Even there the effect of the pur-
chased ballot does not end, for when
the briber aud bribed lay rotting in
their graves; their children and !
childrcn's children suffer from the |
infamous act of a God-forsaken and |
dishonorable wretch, who, living in |
"A free country, bartered his freedom |
for mess of pottage. II we could |
have our way, the briber and bribed |
should be branded in such a man
ner that every one should see the
"mark of Cain" upon them and re-
fuse to trust them, believe in their
word, or have dealings In any shape
withmen so sothoroughly lost 10 honor
Honest people who wish to see
a government based ON the will of
thinking people, ought 10 be prote,-
ted from these creatures, who are
greater dangers to the community
than all the Yellow Fever, Cholera,
and Smallpox victims could ever
be.
There must he a moral quamn-
tine established -four country is 70
mlhl the aspirations OF Washington
and Jefferson and the early pioneers
Df genuine Republlcauism. II