The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1895-09-13

Yotes are potent in making ma
ioritles- the purchasable voter
and tine gullible voter.
To the first-class belong that
considerable number of electors.
sunhappily found in most every
community, who will sell their
birthright for a a mess of pottage
-oreven Guido the sacred wrl.
ter and make the transfer for a
glass of beer.
The other class is not bought
but deceived-it consists Of par.
ty men, who place partyS above
ii g public good. They sieze upon.
any pretext to justify them in
voting for the rogues who con.
tinue to hold power in the name
of party; and these same rogues
are not.slow to furnish them with
plausible reasons for support.
ing the ticket
Among the most effective ruses
are an appeal for the life of the
party, the bugaboo of negro
domination and the hypocritical
scheme of placing a S-bus;ness
man" at the head of the ticket
to pull the tail through. This
business mani is usually a very
respectable middle aged gentle.
man who has won a competence
by attention to business and who
-fattered by the favor of the
bosses, accepts the nomination
and gives in return his good
name and a donation to the
grandmother fund'-Soth Of
which are pretty well used up
during the campaign.
tits a sad commentary upon
the gullibility of human nature
that these three frauds upon the
intelligence Of grown men can be
repeatedly used with effect yet
campaign after campaign many
voters are corralled like wild
asses by being caioled with a
business man or frightened by
tine life of the party" or the cry
of negro domination.
The foregoing, however, are
notthe most efsctlve methods
employed BY our task masters to-
farnisha majority for the ticket.
They have an army of heelers,
thugs and toughs to do theirbid-
ding; and they are past masters
in the art of manipulating an
election.
Time after time they have de-
feated the will of the people by
deliberately countIngoutthe duly
elected candidate. 1t isrumored
that this is to be done at the com.
ing elechon-for it is conceded
that the ring cannot win fairly.
Yet it is doubtful if this intended
fraud can be prevented-for all
the machinery of election is sub
servient to its will. And this,
Notwithstanding the fact that
never within the memory OF this
generation has there been such a
formidable uprising against the
German Rasin ring, for it is op,
posed by the press of both par
ties, by the Independent Demo
Gratis land by a large number Of
disguised party men who have
always voted the straight ticket. .
TAe Ne,0s, Tie Sun and The
american, the three great Balti-
more dailies are arrayed against
it. The Observation-Disclosures
of the late Hon. L. Teakle Wallis
continue their opposition, and 1T
is confidently asserted that there
is hardly a Democratic orator Of
any prominence in the State who
will speak s'for the life of the
party" Press, orators and peo-
pie are all against them-it will
be an expensive campaign indeed,
for they must have speakers,
subsidize the press and purchase
votes.
Bribery. alone, however, can.
not defraud the people. for this
is not merely a contest between
Democrats and Republicans, it is
a fight for fair elections, good
government and home rule. In
order to win every fraudulent
device against a fair election
! sNa