Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-05-02
BUYING VOTES.
Republican Corruption = Money Freely
Used In the Recent Elections I'm Rhode
Island and Michigan.

Republican Corruption - Money Freely
Used In The Recent Elections I'm Rhode
Island and Michigan.
1t seems, says the indianapolis Sentinel,
that the grea: Republican victory in
that rotten borough Rhode Island) was
gained by the shameless and unstnted use
of money. The contest is described as "the
most disgraceful, in all its features, that
was ever witnessed in tho United States. -
Voters, white and black, were driven to the
polls like cattle, and paid for their votes
without much pretense at conceaiment
And yet, in spite of this wholesale bribery.
the Republican plurality was only a matter
OF 2,5OO or so.when four years ago the s.g O.
p" carried tho State by over 5000
The providence Journal, which has been
Tor many years the leading Republican
newspaper OF Rhode Island, vigorously de-
nounces tho methods by which the recent
election was carried. The Journal sup
ported the Republican ticket with the ex-
ception of the candidate for Lieutenant
Governor, but it freely admits that but for
tho corrupt use of money the Democrats
would have been successful.
The fact is that the State of Rhode Island
does not enjoy a republican form of govern
ment, in any thing but the name The es-
sence of rcpublicanism is lacking The
the people. With free and honest cleo
tion and with universal suffrage, Rhode ISL
and would be as reliably Democratic as Del
aware.
The same methods bv which Rhode ISL
and was carried were employed, to a con-
siderable extent, by the Republicans in the
recent election in Michigan. In Grand
Rapids the most desperate expedients were
resorted to to change the result. Tho con-
test for mayor was close but the Demo-
cratic candidate pulled through, having q
clear plurality in spite of the frauds that
were practiced or attempted by the Repub-
leans When they discovered that the bat
Tie had probably gone against them, tho bal
iot-ooxes IN the Second precinct of the Third
ward were reported stolen. Later the
boxes were returned. The police found
that three Republicans, one Of whom was
the sheriff of the county and another the
inspector OF election in the precinct, had re-
moved tho boxes, which were unsealed.
me three men were accompanied by two
other Republicans, and drove away with
the boxes in hack The men, when dis
covered half on hour later with the boxes
clalmed TO be an authorized committee To
carry them to the city clerks Office. After
finding that tho law did not uphold their
action they reluctantly returned the boxes
W INC store from which they had been
taken. Of course the boxes were stolen
for the purpose of stufing them. The Chi
cago Lerald charges that the Republicans
In Grand Rapids had large corruption
fund, and that their workers went around
among the great factories Offering two dol
lars apiece for votes.
The corrupt use of money by Republicans
to influence elections, and Republican frauds
to change the results after elections have
been held, are no new things in this city and
State Every body remembers the rascally
two-dollar-bill campaign of Dudley and
Dorsey in 1880. Every body recalls Presi-
dent Arthur's facetious allusion to the
"soap" with which Indiana was creased bv
Dorsey in that year, when that illustrious
Stalwart was banqucted at Delmonico's.
every body remembers tho Carnahan circu-
lar, and understands the iniquitous scheme
which 1t was intended to further 1t is in
terestlng to sec that the election methods
which Republicans have made familiar in
Indiana arc employed by that party in other
|. States as well. Republicans have good
deal to say about q free ballot and fair
count, but their party is responsible for
more outrages upon the suffrage than all
the other parties that have existed from
tho formation OF tho Government TO The
present time, put together