Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1888-12-21

THE USE oE MONEY IN ELECTIONS.


The democratic papers are unwil-
ling to admit that their party was
fairly beaten upon the issue made by
President Cleveland and the Mills
Bill on the tariff that is; Protec-
ton VS.. Free Trade; but they
claim that it was the eXtravagant
and corrupt use of money by the Re-
publican National Committee, that
accomplished their defeat. This is
about as near the truth as most of
their other claims, the charge that
heavy contributions were levied up
on all the protected industries and
manufacturers of the country, by
which vast sums were raised and
corruptly expended by the republic
cans-nOt n word of which is true.
The democrats expended at least
three dollars to the republicans one,
the greater part Of which was used
in purchasing votes in the large
cities. Fifty-thousand dollars was
sent to Chicago, II republican city,
on the eve of election by the Ma
tional Democratic COmmitte, and
the result was that city was carried
for Cleveland and Palmer by large
majority. A it was in Chicago, 50
it was i'm many other large cities in
the East and i'm the West, and nota-
bly, San Francisco. The democrats
concentrated their efforts and spent
their money freely in the large
cities where the voters are massed,
and more accessible and where are
to be found the largest floating"
population that is always i'm the
market and for sale to the highest
bidder. 1t is i'm the large cities that
most Of the manufactures are lOca-
ted, and where protection ought to
be the strongest-and is if allowed
free expression, interrupted and
unbiased by the use of whisky and
money. But it was in these very
cities the free traders spent most of
their money and made their largest
gains. The tranquil, reading,
thinking, intelligent farmers, whom
the free traders tried to make be-
lieve were bearing all the burdens of
the protective tariff "taX" without
enjoying any of its benefits, is
where the republican protective
policy made the largest gains and
polled the greatest majorities for
Harrison. They decided most em-
phatically that the tariff is not Il
tax, and that ii is not n burden upon
the agriculturists. The latter class
Were never better read up and pos
ted ON the tariff than they are to-
day. Most Of the republican cam
paign fund was spent in supplying
the people with tariff literature.
Tons upon tons, and millions of
copies of tracts on the tariff were
scattered broadcast over the coun-
tryRnd proved to be seed sown upon
good ground. Besides the ablest
and most eloquent speakers We're
employed to discuss the great issues
before the people in n fair and can
did manner. In short IL was a
campaign of argument-and intel
lect won.
Now, as 10 money-the demo
Gratis had lots of Il, Seven mem
bers Of their National Committee |
were millionaires, and the Wander
builts, the Goulds, the SCOTS and |
nearly all the immensely rich aris-
tocmts in the land, who are gener-
ally free traders, were arrayed on
the democratic side 10 say nothing
of the nearly two hundred thousand
office holders under the Cleveland
administration, all of whom were
roundly ASSESSED to swell the cor
ruptlon fund, President Cleveland
leading OF and setting the example
that no President ever did before-
by contributing the munificenti !
sum of ten thousand dollars in the
most public and ostentatlous man
ner But with all their money,
(Which it is plainly TO be seen was