Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-12-20

Republicans about the evil, and hero is
what some Of them said:
"What do know about vote.buying
in Sussex?' repeated McKcndrcc Down
ham, epresentatiyc-elcct from Sussex
county. "Well, | must say that my
experience begins and ends with the
recent campaign. l have read the an
ticles in the New York Sun and other
papers about our election. In them
there is some truth, mixed with great
deal of error. As to the money spent
by the Republicans in this campaign, |
am sure there has been equally as much
spent in previous campaigns. But IL
was not money that gained the Repub-
lican victory. The desire Tor CON
stituuonal convention had much to do
with it. The Democrats who fought
convention last year really defeated
their party this year.
"ln Georgetown hundred" said Mr..
| Downham, ~ believe the Republicans
spent rs much money as the Democrats
and no more. | do not know how much
money was raised by the Republicans
for this county. The Legitimate cx-
| penses of the campaign were possibly
| $4,000, and how much in excess of this
amount was raised | cannot say. be-
| lieve the purchase Of votes is great
and growing evil and should be stopped.
OF my own knowledge | do not know
of any man selling his vote, but | have
no DOUBT that the evil exists. | have
not thought about legislation to suppress
it. There are laws against bribery at
elections already on the statute books,
| but cannot say whether they are suifi-
cient or nol. But the evil is under
mining and sapping the very life Of our
institutions, and it ought to be eradi-
Gated"
j. Frank Bacon, Esq, who was secre-
tary of the Republican county execu-
tive committee, said: My first know
ledge of vote-buying extends back to
1864, when | was boy. The Demo.
Gratis spent $4,000 in Sussex county
that year. In 1866 the Democrats had
$l,625 in Little Creek hundred alone
and could not spend all of the fund. l
know that money was used in the last
election, but not to such an extent as in
former years. | would not like to tell
what the Republican fund amounted to,
but two-thirds of it was raised in this
county. Much of the fund was used in
the payment of taxes, and in some
instances property taxes were paid as
well as poll taxes. | do not know OF
my own knowledge of any money
being paid directly for votes. In George,
town hundred we paid the taxes of go OIL
70 persons, some of whom were prop
erty owners. The Democrats used u!
much money in this hundred as the Re
publicans.
at would be good thing for both
partiesDSo break up this system of buy
ing votes and would favor any law to
put stop to it. But it is direct resul,
! of the family rule that has prevailed in
this State Tor years. The offices have
been farmed out in advance to family
henchmen and many voters feeling thai
they can never get office make up theil
minds TO get what they can for theiI
, votes.
"But to the discussion OF the tariff
, and constitutional convention, more
than TO tho use OF money, we owe oul
victory, and if the Democrats had raised
as much money rs We had we would still
have won, We had the better organization
/ and the careful canvass that we madt
r before the election showed that we hat
, majority of 1872 votes in the county
, The canvass also showed that Their
were about 1900 purchasablo voters ii
the county, of whom two-thlrds wer
} Democrats. Some Of these men de
mandcd only q moderate return for til
7 time lost in going TO Vote, but others de
7 mauded a big price for their votes an
S the influence they claimed to have owe
: other voters"
: The views of Daniel Layton and Dr
C C. II. Layton, veteran Republican cam
+ paigners, would have been obtained
. but both were out of town.
e WHAT DEMOCRATS SAY.
4 Democrats also talked freely about tn
e evil of vote-buying, but generally di
+ not care to have their names mentione
o in connection with the subject. Sal
c one of them, who took prominent an
: active part in the recent campaign:
q "The Democratic campaign fun
e amounted to only u little over $4,000 fc
C the whole county, including the asses
L, ments upon office holders. In case an
s of the latter declined to pay his asses
II ment, the amount asked Of him was d,
1t Quoted from the fund apportioned to h
hundred. About $3.50 was apportione
}. to Georgetown hundred and by contribl
d tions in the town on election day we il
l. creased our fund to $76j. With this su!
e We bought 50 odd votes. The Rapubl
n cans bought about 100 votes. We pui
IS $5 to $40 per vote. The Republican
s. paid from $40 to 1870 per vote. In Gun
d boro hundred the Democratic fund WI
re SO short that only from 81 to So coul
le be offered for votes, while the Republ
N cans could pay from $S to sig apiec
lf We appoint treasurer for the electic
is fund, who keeps Il list of the vott
Ig bought and those who buy them. Th
list is preserved, and is frequently f
a days open to the inspection ol membe
o1 of the party and sometimes of d
general public. -...
oil "In Georgetown, before the close
- buasled that they had $500 left in the
s. treasury, and offered, as by pub
" auction, $25 apiece for any stray vot
AZ that might be lying around loose. IT
"a Democrats lost votes by their treasu
Y frequently becoming depleted, whit
e neCess!tnted Il suspension of busine
until it could be replenished. r.
he Republicans had carte blanche to dru
P- on three of the wealthiest members
Is their party in the county for whatev
an funds they desired.
ai "But still, it was not money that lc
ey us the county. Had our party be
united the Republicans could not ha
spent money enough to defeat u.s."
ID said another Democrat: 'In DAG
ed boro hundred, which the Republica
,e. carried by 100 majority, the DemucrI
as had only $500, and could pay only
st and 81 apiece for votes. Had our fu
81 nrnn &iOO we could have carried I