Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-06-12
The Shame Of 1t.

Page Courier No such "muddle" in
elections as the one on the 2Sth ult. has,
we suppose, ever occurred in this county.
On proceeding to canvass the vote last
SATURDAY. the cOmmiss toner's found such
irregularities in the returns from four or
five precincts that they had to adjourn
and have summoned before them the Off.
GERS of the several precincts mentioned for
the correction of their returns. Ga We'd
nesday they again met for this duty, and
are still engaged in the work. So far they
have thrown out of the count the returns
from Jolletts. The vote is so close, and
the final action of the Board as to the
Other precincts being yet undetermined,
we are unable to state what the result
will be. We publish the vote as cast, and
hope "DefOre long" to be able to say really
who is elected.
The price of votes in Madison county
ranged, we Learn, last Thursday from five
to tea dollars, though $3.50 was the pppu
lar price.
The Massanutton correspondent of tie
Page Courier says;
We'll. the election is over, and who's
elected We have been present at quite a
number of elections, but never before did
we see things butchered up like they were
this time.
We had hoped to see the "reform move
ment" frown down the corrupt practices
of both the old parties, but after the
events of last Thursday that hope has
gone glmmering.
We shall have more to say in regard to
this matter in the future.
The Marksville correspon lent of the
Page Courier says:
The election is over and some of the
candidates look blue, but they will have
to spit il their hands and try it again.
never saw such work as was done on cleo
ton dav in the rain. 1t is a shame how
some men will make merchandise Of them
selves and be bought at elections.
From the above our readers can Judge
Of the corruption that now marks the elCc-
tions in Madison and Page counties. 1t is
hardly necessary for US to say that it is
not one bit better in Shenandoah. Men,
who, a few years ago would have knocked
down the person who would have dared
to approach them with a corrupt PROPOSE
ton in regard to their votes, now wait
around on election day for the highest bid.
Bat the most alarming sign of all is that
men who were supposed to be far above
even TIE shadow of suspicion, now look on
such corruption with indifference, if not
actual appreciation. Our elections are
fast becoming shameless faces and hct-
beds of corruption. Scarcely a pretense
of conceaIment IS made, and the buying
and selling of votes has become so open
and common that it is beginning to be re-
garded as a matter of course, legitimate
business. All history Enthusiastically
teaches us that tie liberties of republics
can only be preserved and maintained
through the purity and strict honesty Of
elections. Is it not time for us to call
halt and ask ourselves what the end OF
this is to BET Let the good men of all
parties resolve that this dangerous cor
ruption shall no longer mark the elections
in this county. Let them determine TO
ferret out and punish TO the full extent of
the law every buyer aud seller of votes
every person guilty of corrOptly infuea-
cling vote. How can this best be done :
We viii gladly open our columns to those
who think that elections should be EeptI
pnrs.