Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-11-13
Increase of the Purchasable Vote

Increase of the Purchasabie Vote.
The following article which we take
from the Courier, of Luray. Va, should be
carefully read by all who believe IN keep
ing the ballot pure as the principal safe
guard of republican form Of government
like ours. We cannot shut our eyes to
the fact that this crime, almost unknown
in this State few years ago, is increasing
at an appalling rate. Votes are almost
openly bought and sold, and the depraved
creatures who thus traffic away their man.
hood for few dirty dollars seem to do ii
without the least sense of shame. This
practice is now carried to such an extent
that the purchased vote is often sufficient
to decide elections and men are thus
placed in offices of high responsibility by
the foulest corruptiOns, for the man who
secures Office or position by such means
is as vile and infinitely more dangerous
than the degraded being who sold his
dearest right as freeman. The danger
is here and it is fearful one. What is
the remedy Let every honest man do
his plain duty, and without fear or favor
bring these scoundrels, the buyers and
sellers, to justice. They can be caught,
and few severe examples will have a
powerful effect.
almost all, indeed we hazard nothing
when we say all, of the thinking people of
Page county have come to look with
grave apprehension upon the rapid in
crease of the practice of buying and SELL
ing votes at our elections. At first, soon
after the close of the war, the practice
arose as a cloud not larger than a mans
baud, and confined to limits so narrow as
to awaken but little concern. 1t was whis-
pered around after an election that a few
votes had possibly been bought at Ger
tain precincts in the county; that some
vofa,I more corrupt and with less self-re-
meet than Others had bartered away his
manhood and his biftR-right, but those
engaged in the barter wefe so secret in
their operations and so carefully guarded
their action, that for several years~lttie
more than mere suspicion of the pra6z
tice was entertained. Like all unre-
strained evil, however, it soon began to
enlarge Its proportions, and the statement
began to be heard first of one precinct
and then OF another that money was used
there in the "last election" Soon, too,
as is always the case with unrestralned
vice, it began to grow holder, until those,
who short time before would haye re-
PEELED with indignation the charge that
they had either bought or sold a vote, be-
gan on the one part to boast of votes they
had bought, and on the other part of the
advanced price they had received for the
salo from their manhood and their suffrage
"NOw. it is we'll known fact, univer-
sally conceded, that at every precinct, and
at every election where there Is a contest,
men whose votes count as much as those
of the best men of this county, put them
selves on the block to the highest bidder,
and other men stand ready, openly and
without any attempt at concealment, to
bid on them and to buy them. Although
the practice is general, and by no manner
of means confined to this county,
still county pride prevents us from
reporting the number of purchase
BILE votes in this county as given
by those who are IN position to know.
1t is enough now to say That the bum Der
who are willing and anxious to sell them
selves to any man or any measure with
out regard TO the character of either, IS
simply alarming. Contracts of this char
acter, formerly made in the bushes or I'M
der cover OF some abandoned building, are
now made in open daylight and IN the
presence of those who decIy the evil. In
deed the purchasable vote has grown from
year to year until it contro Is every cleo
ton. because of the fact that it constl-
tutes a balance of power, and that man or
that party known to have the largest
amount of corruption fund is known as
the one who when the vote is counted
will have gained the day.
Now where is the remedy, and how is
the evil 10 be checked and controlled 7
"Manifestly only by a determined stand
on the part of those, in the various coun-
ties, who fear and appreciate the danger
and manifestly NOT so LONG AS COUNTY
OFFICIALS in the various counties nOtori-
ously not only condone and ignore it. but
year after year and election after election,
take an active part themselves in encour-
aging and fostering this violation of law,
and pass through their own official hands
the money that pays the man who sells,
and that, too, in the presence of men
who by these very officials have been
prosecuted before the courts for petty Of
fenses against the laws OF this common
wealth"