The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1893-06-10
UNBLUSHlNG BRIBERY
Emphasizes the Popular Demand
for Localized Primaries.

Boldly they sold and well,
Fell into bribery's hell.
The doubtful six hundred.
The open, unconcealed and sys
tematic bribery of voters, practiced
at the Democratic primaries on Sat
urday, in at least three districts OF
this county, should excite the EN-
phatic protest, and command the
unqualified condemnation of every
elector in the county capable of
writing franchise.
We hold, that no man willing to
sell his vote, should have the oppor-
tunity to cast vote.
In fact, the Australian Ballot
system now in force in this State,
with all its complicated provisions
and machinery, was intended to
protect the honest against the dis
honest voter, by checking bribery al
general State elections, and making
its practice as difficult as possible.
This desirable result, the present
Australian system, cumbersome as
it may be, and fraught with embar
rassment to the honest iliterate
voter, in a large measure accom-
plishes, since the man who under
takes to bride another, can secure
no satisfactory evlu,ace OF his success.
Now the proposition is plain, that
the unbridled and unlicensed pur-
chase of voters at primary elections,
not only means the debauchery of
individual voters, but it means also
the defeat OF the peoples WILL at the
very source OF popular government
There can be no choice by the
qualified voters of Cecil County of
their public servants, when in the
selection of candidates, the control
OF large number Of voters becomes
purely matter Of dollars and cents,
and is limited only by tie relative
sizes of the purses of managing
politicians.
Government then passes out of
the hands of the people, ceases
to be representative in character,
and becomes the purchasable pre-
rogative of an obligarchy, the
supreme power to rule resting in the
hands of few.
Democracy ceases to be such and
becomes a plutocracy.
This practically becomes the polit-
ical condition in Cecil County, when
the dominating boss" or leader of
the dominant party, can through the
medium of money and an open
primary, execute his own sweet will.
As an Illustration of the present
iniquitous system Of primary elections
prevailing in Maryland, take that in
the Third Election district last Sat
urday as a sample. 1t is generally
conceded that not less than $500
was spent by the two Democratic
factions contending tor the mastery.
1t was announced in advance that
money would be forthcoming. Men
otherwise honest and self respecting,
at once began to speculate upon the
probable and posi- lie monetary value
of their ballots, and the number of
available bride takers was at once
perceptibly increased. In some cases
innate greed and love OF money, in
others, physical necessity, converted
honest men into rogues.
On the morning of the primary,
even men of reputed responsibility
were willing bidders for the filthy
lucre that marked their own de-
bauchery
In one reported instance, three
young men demanded S25 for their
combined votes, one surreptitiously
asking $50 from the opposition for
his single vote. The netarious
bargain ended in the purchase of
one vote at S., and the remaining
two for $40 each.
The mathematics of that primary
prove the truth OF our position.
The official returns show the total
vote to have been seven hundred
and seventeen ballots cast. Con-
sentative estimates place the number
Of purchasable voters at two hundred
and sixty five, leaving 452 votes as
cast by unpurchasable voters, or an
aggregate of 226 to each faction, the
265 purchasable contingent constitu-
ting a majority of either faction, and
therefore holding the preponderance
Of power.
The conclusion then is inevitable,
that the present Australian Ballot
system, strict as it may be, is practi-
cally null and void as a means of as
certaining the will of the people in
their election OF public servants, so
long as primary elections are not
protected by the same legal safe
guards as now hedge about the
general election.
In the face OF these conditions,
by the undeniable
lebauchery of voters incident there.
o, and which has never had more
illustration than on Sat
Irday last, we ask the intelligent and
voters OF the county,
0 consider how pressing is the
emand for legalized primaries, in
efence of the purity OF the ballot
Nv ,nJ tho f,irpecs of eIecfiOnc