Eureka weekly sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1887-1902, 1895-10-05
oRREsPoNDErCE


| Thomas is occasionally heard to say
that the Purity Of Elections Law" can
not be enforced. Why not? All admit
that ID is o good law. The law makes
ample provision for its enforcement by
both criminal and civil procedure. Are
the people Of this State so corrupt or so
Indifferent to the enforcement Of q good
law that they will permit corruptionists
to violate il with impunityf l do not
believe il. Every good citizen should
not only favor it's rigid enforcement. but
each one should lend efficient aid in en-
forcing 10.
The man who owns property is or
| should be conservative and in favor OF
strictly enforcing all good laws, espe-
| cially this one. It's strict enforcement
means the election OF fewer bad men to
the Legislature and to county offices. 1t
will result in the passage Of better laws
| and Q better administration Of the laws
| passed and in o more economical admins.
tration Of public business, in the reduc-
tion Of taxation and q corresponding in
crease in property values and the profits
| Of all kinds Of business. It will elevate
the moral tone Of the people and raise
| the elective franchise to the dignifed pc.
sition IL should occupy. The man OF
property not only has the interest that
every patriotic citizen-rich or poor
has or should have in purity Of elections,
but he has an additional ~pecuniary inter.
est. His influence is potent in every
| community, and let Us trust that indie
pendent Of party considerations il will
be used in the right direction in all future
political contests.
But while the man Of property is
| deeply interested in the enforcement Of
the Purity Of Elections Law" the poor
man is doubly so. In fact, the law may
~ittingly be termed the poor mans law.
II affords him ample protection from all
kinds Of intimidation. 1t stamps as 9
felon the man who would tempt him to
sell his "birthright for . mess Of pot
tage." By restricting the amount Of
money a candidate may spend to secure
his election and by restricting the K
penditure to legitimate expenses and by
prohibiting the purchase Of votes or OBJ
tanning them by promises Of Office or en-
ployment, he is enabled to run for Office
on even terms with the rich man. The
rich man now enjoys social and other
privileges not accorded to the poor man.
The constant tendency Of corporate and
individual wealth is TO enlarge those
privileges and to deprive q poor man by
bribery, by intimidation and by prom
Uses of employment and other means Of
his political equality. This law is adj
mirably adapted to check that tendency.
The man, however. who is most deeply
interested in the enforcement OF the law
Is the man who Is q candidate for Office.
Under the present corrupt system, as
soon as q candidates name is announced,
whenever he appears on the street the
"bummers" ''strike" him for fifty cente
to "eat on;'' a committee levies an as
sessment upon him for party purposes,
the political blackmailer demands $3.50
to be placed in a pool to buy votes; he
must travel from precinct to precinct
with a demijohn Of whisky under one
arm and q box Of cigars under the other.
At each saloon he is expected to ''set EN-
up for the boys, and on the day OF cleo
ton he lie besieged from morning until
night by voters who demand money and
by messengers from clubs Of ten who are
willing to sell their votes to the highest
bidder. At last the end comes. Night
closes over this carnival of corruption.
He has spent all Of his own money and
all he could borrow from friends. II
successful. IL will require many months Of
his salary and other official perquisites to
repay them. II unsuccessful, he is 6nan-
cially ruined. disappointed and heart
sore; burdened with debt he commences
ploddins, plodding, plodding TO get even
with the world again.
The successful candidate may not have
psid out for election expenses quite oil
his Office is worth, but IL is reasonably
certain that the aggregate expenses Of
all the candidates for an Office amount
frequently to more than the office ia
worth. The whole corrupt system ia
accursed and is sapping the foundations
Of republican government and the man
or men who seek to ~perpetuate II should
be forever politically damned.
In the past men have winked at these
corrupt political practices. satisfying
their consciences with the specious ex-
cuses thar the other party was guilty Of
doing so; that they had to Eight the
devil with ire;" that the end justified
the means" and SO on. With the "Pu-
rity of Elections Law" upon the statute
book there is not the ~faintest show oil
justification in such excuses.
But I an admonished by the length oil
this letter that I must close. Later ]
shall endeavor to show that the enforce
ment Of this law is all important to the
editor and will restore him to the posi-
! tion Of influence and Importance he held
before this reign of corruption set in.
:. THos. WREN.
While America is taking the lead ia
all sorts OF contests with England, The