The advocate and Topeka tribune., 1893-03-15

suDJecC WIGn Gne LoI4oWlng paragraph,
which is brim full of significance:
I am a voter and am interested in politi-
cal questions. But I have never taken an
active part in politics and have never held
any civil Office. My interest in the subject
of venal voting is, therefore, less political
than social. It is such an interest as any
person might feel who loves his country, re-
spscts himself and his fellow men, and stops
occasionally to think.
We shall limit ourselves in the use
we make Of Prof. McCook's inquiries
to the percentages Of the venal to the
total vote, to the percentages Of two
classes of vensl voters to the total,
and to the influences by which that
vote is controlled. His investlga-
tion extended to twenty-one cities
and towns of the state of Oonnecti-
cut They seem to have been of the
most careful and painstaking char
acter. Concerning the accuracy and
reliability Of his STATISTICS, he makes
the following personal statement:
People in Connecticut who knew most
about the situation, criticised chiefly the
moderation Of my estimates. But it is not
a matter Of surprise that strangers should
have been skeptiOsl as TO the alleged pre-
valence of venslity in state with the his
tory and the advantages, educational and
other, of this. That from II, 900 to 10000 Of
10000 voters were liable TO be bought and
sold in every election was hard to believe.
Nevertheless, it is true, or, if incorrect, it
is rather below than beyond the mark. And
this / hope to show, though I shall here
again be debarrsd, from the very nature Of
the case, from giving names Of persons or
places. / will only state chat my inform
ants, who are almost equally from the two
greater parties, are gentlemen who are con-
Sidered by myself and by those who know
them qualified in very eminent degree to
testify. They include professional and bust
ness men of excellent position in the COM
munity, and, so far Rs I know, Of
exemplary lives; they exclude under strap
perS and go-betweens; they include no man
who has enriched himself in politics by ille-
gitimste means, to my knowledge. They
are, however, men who have pulled the
wires. In q word, they were neither the
spies nor the private soldiers Of the army.
They were the OolOnels, generals, officers Of
the general staff, paymasters and the like.
They knew what was dOne-they did it
through others.
Concerning the sources and relia-
bility of his information he further
says:
As write have before me four tables.
Two Of these were prepared from books
which have been actually used in cam
paigns by town committeeman, and which
bear all their original marks, together with
others which have since been added by them
for present uses. These books, too, are be-
fore me. The third table is prepared from
checklist marked at the dictation Of a
committeeman. This list is also before me.
The fourth is made up out Of materials sup
piled from memory by an active politician.
He vouoheS for its approximate accuracy
and believe him. / do not, however, at
tach the importance to il which the other
three receive, because I distrust memory
and impressions. / believe in, and for the
purposes Of this paper have taken only for
NAL coRnizanOe Of, particular statements
treating of voters, man BY man, noted in
black and white opposite each name, and
reduced to tabular form by myself, with the