The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-21

The Pittsburg Times of July 14th pub
fishes statement which shows very low
condition of political morals in the Twenty
fifth Congressional District of Pennsylva-
mia. Charles G. Townsend. of Beaver
county, is the present incumbent and
candidate for denomination, and Major
Alexander Mcdowell, of Mercer, was his
leading competitor. 1t appears that each
county committee appointed certain num-
Der of conferees to meet and make selec-
ton of candidate. and that if all of these
had acted in good faith Townsend was
secure OF majority.
But four of The Beaver county conferees
deserted from Townsend to Mcdowell, and
the litter was nominated. And now comes
the Times with a long affidavit made by one
John r. Tate, one of the Beaver county
conferees. who in minute detail gives the
full particulars, names, dates, places and
amounts, in which he and three other
Beaver county men were bribed to drop
Townsend and vote for Mcdowell. Tate's
declarations are sustained by the other
three Beaver county men whom he in
cludes with himself as takers of the bribes
The astounding feature of this affair is
not so much the giving and taking OF the
brides, and the open admission of the fact,
which would appear to be bad enough, but
the publication of the matter seems to be
taken as matter of course and hardly
worthy of serious consideration, except to
condemn or deride the men who make the
dte0 ha s,,
in fact appear to feel justified by alleging
that Beaver secured the nomination the
last time by resort to the same kind of
tactics. At Newcastle Lawrence county
leader "takes very little stock" in the dis
closures, points to the bitter pill that was
forced kown Lawrence county's throat
when Townsend was nominated" and
holds that the excitement over the bribery
is 'the ebullition of disgruntled and dis
appointed spirits"
The attorney who is accused of paving
the money to the bribe-takers does not
deny the charge, but declares that "For
the sake of the party they had better shut
their mouths" and adds: az was in the
fight to defeat Townsend. and he knew it,
and now l am no coward, and can face
their music and not feel the least bit dis
concerted" Major Mcdowell, the nominee,
avows his determination to make the race
at all hazards, says that Mercer county
will never submit to another conference"
and accuses the Beaver county people of
playing the baby act"
This is certainly a most deplorable state
of affairs. If these are the methods which
are to prevail in sending men TO Congress
there can be no reason for expecting hon.
est or conscientious legislation from that
body. But the Times contains refreshing
assurance that outside of the ring of cor
rupt manipulators public spirit has been
aroused in all of the counties of the district
which will lead to publication, and which
promises to compel investigation and dis
proof of these charges, and the probable
result viii be to retire both of these men
and their managers from the control of
party affairs. Corporation influence has
badly tainted Pennsylvania politics, but
there is enough OF virtue left in the Re-
publican party OF the old Commonwealth
to set all things right in the end. This
kind OF business will be stamped out