The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-04-07
claIrns 70 have used much less than the
lowest sum named.


4 lowest sum ndflcds
BEATING AROUND THz bush
Besides the usual method OF paying
men 10 come to the polls and work all
day for a candidate. numerous oi.eI
| plans were adopted for securing voters
under the guise OF hiring them as work
ers.
their days pay to come TO the polls and
| vote.
Others were given a dollar and half
10 ride a horse to the polls and allow
the use of the animal in drumming UP
voters Many wagons were hired In the
| same way.
Another method that was rsed In tho
late Urinary was 10 negotiate through
third party. man would approach the
cashier OF one Of the candidates and
| ask him, How much will you give for
| one two. Of six yotcs?" After a sufficient
amount Of dickering on the part Of seller
| and buyer a price would be agreed upon.
! The negOtiatOr would 20 of and return
| with the number of voters agreed upon,
take them to the polls and vote them,
and collect the money for them. Even
| these incorporating tactics were discard
| cd later In the day and many times the
| money was seen 10 change hands be-
| tween the buyer and the voter open and
| above board.
| The election progressed without any ap-
| parent use Of money until about II
| O'Clock, when II became evident that
money was being used. Each candidate
! accuses the other OF having commenced
II first. and made the other an unwilling
competitor in such methods.
COMPETITION THE LIFE OF TRADE.
Votes were bought at small prices at
| first, but the prices went up as the com
| Petition increased. and votes that cost
| Sc or SO at midday we're held az from -
| to $40 before sundown.
The candidates not only bought voters.
| but they bid for the votes Of each others
workers at the polls, and well auihenli-
Gated incidents are told where men PAID
| TO work at the polls for one candidate
received the money OF another candi-
date for his vote.
The evidence of such transactions were
| easily obtained, and II Is probably the
| most dcbluched election that ev er took
| place IN the State.
Votes were purchased at precincts In a
| wholesale manner where no bribery was
ever known before.
| II Is said by many that arc familiar
| with elections in Henrico that the nrst
time money was used in the county for
! buying votes was during the NaddiH-
| Sands contest for clerkship two years ago,
| and although the methods were more
| open and the amount expended much
larger in the recent primary, the demon
| alization which now exists is said TO date
| from that contest.
Money was used at every precinct in
| the county but some were more noto-
rious for the shameful manner in which
men sold their honor and self-respect
| than in others
FAILED TO DELIvER.
At Jones' store the vote-buyers were
| persistent in offering money 10 persons
TO vote for their candidates l was told
| by two men at this precinct that they
| received money from the representative
| OF one candidate and then voted for the
| man Of their choice.
! / found no difficulty in securing evil
dcnce from both those who purchased
the votes and those who received the
| money, that the charges made of such
| disgraceful methods were true.
A well-to-do-ooking man drove up to
| Shunlaker's precinct In a buggy and when
! approached and asked to vote for candi-
| date was induced to change his deter
| mination to vote for another candidate
for a drink
At the same precinct father and
three sons accepted one dollar eacn for
| their vote.
| BOUGHT THE VETERANS.
At this precinct is pcled the votes Of
| the inmates of the Soldiers Home. and
| one of the most pitiable features In the
| entire election was the wholesale pur-
| chase Of these grizzled old veterans.
Ii is a well-known fact that they went
| like sheep TO the sfan,bles and cast bal
lots that were paid for at 50 much
| vote.
one squadron Of eignty-three old vet
| Grams were bought for $3.50 a piece, two
| dollars of the amount being paid by
| candidate for treasurer and the balance
one ana a half-by a candidate for COM
! missioner of the revenue.
These old veterans were also dined
| and whiskied by one of the candidates
| and many Of them left the scene in a
| mandin stupor. Some Of them were Of
| fered So for their votes by other can
| didates.
AT some precincts it is believed that
more than one-half Of all the ballots
cast were bought votes, and honorable
men who came to vote were so dis
| gusted with what they SAW that they re-
! turned home without voting.
| Al Hungary precinct votes were bought
| in large numbers at prices ranging from
! three to seventeen dollars and half. One
| vote only brought the latter amount
| The voter asked twenty-five dollars for
his vote but after hanging around all
day seeking the highest bidder for his
| suffrage finally compromised on $3.50.
| A number of votes were paid for at
| Hungary at the rate Of eight and ten
| dollars each.
| TO THR HIGHEST BIDDER.
| At Hariin's Shop the sale was to the
| highest bidder. Votes were bought open
| ly. Several eye witnesses TESTIFY that
| money was paid for votes in full sight
OF the spectators. and that men were
| brought in by the wagon load, voted at
| stated price and the money delivered on
| the spot. In one or more cases 1t was
found that they did not vote az they
| promised. and the money was demanded
/ back and the seller of his vote made TO
| dis gorge
Almost numberless incidents of vote
! buying are told by persons who paid
| out and received money.
At Town Hall precinct the methods
were also fragrant and voters put them
| selves up TO the highest bidder, and
| one man who was buying votes for a
| candidate for treasurer said IL reminded
| him OF horse auction. Ii was known
! at different times during the day what
was the market price OF votes. The low
est sold at about s. and the highest
| price paid was -. a ticket holder at
| this precinct remarked that he would
not like to be tried for his life before
| jury from that precinct II any money
was at stake
| Ii IS charged that number of votes
were polled at Shumaker's precinct by
| persons who lived in the city / found
one Richmond man. who admitted that
| he voted at SbumakerS illegally in this