The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-11-17
BID FOR PUBLIC OFFICE
And Put the Money in the Treasury
For the People.
WOULD SEND TAXES DOWN
And Relieve Great Burden = Much Better
Than Buying the Way in Through
the Ward Heelers and Little
Political sharps-The
Rchema In DataiI

Cleveland, Nov. 14.-(Speoial. THE
Recorder makes the following amusing
suggestions, but when one thinks Of
them moment there seems 90 be some
pretty good sense displayed after ALL:
"It Is evident to the most casual OBJ
server Of our politics, that no poor man,
however able or meritorious, has any
show for honor or preferment. The very
rich are taking ell the imp p1rtaDt offices,
aud the puprcbase system nov prevails
from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The
senate, especially, is alreadya hospital
for deorepid millionairs. 1t is evident
to any student Of politics that the mon
opolists and money kings now In supreme
control Of the party In power intend to
hold the senate as a safe bulwak against
all efforts Of the people, and that the rule
Of the meroenary classes against the
patriotic masses has come to stay. We
have reached the point where party plat
forms are used only to deceive, as q
popular election, one way or the other
settles no question and secures no legis-
lation in the line Of the popular verdict
as expressed by the majority vote.
Bribery Is no longer odious; in fact, it
Is the only sure and easy sesame to high
government places. There Is not enough
patriotism In Pennsylvania to defeat the
most corrupt gang of scoundrels that evt
looted state treasury, and in Ohio, the
open purchase for cash of seat In the
United States senate is endorsed as q
token Of high national honor. In view
Of these conditions, too notorious to be
even questioned, why not adopt the
Chinese system of disposiug Of high
public trusts and honor titles. The
Chinese, like the average Republican of
today Is entirely oblivious to all ques-
tions Of moral ethics, and the various
grades Of mandarins is the great Chinese
empire, some nine in all, are disposed OF
at auction to the highest bidder, the
proceeds going into the imperial money
chest Of the emperor for the sole benefit
of the public revenues. For instance
had the senatorial seat In Ohio been
auctioned off in front of the state capitol
building last winter to the highest bidder
Mark Hanna might not have secured II
as against other multi. illionaire com
peting bidders; and instead of spending
some $4,000 or $4,000 on five or six
purohasable legislators, not dollar OF
which has gone into the state treasury
we should doubtless have realized al
least $4,000 at public vendue, all fol
the benefit of our overburdened Ohic
taxpayers. All this money so realized
should be set aside as a special fund fol
the benefit of the great army Of paupers
now being made in the assertion of the
laboring classes by the man-eating trust
and monopolists. BY the statistics this
year we have about $4,000 paupsrs nov
supported in our poor houses, and by
public charity at the cost Of abou
90, 10000 per year. All this money ha
to be raised by taxation on farms ant
buildings and manufacturing plants o
visible property, as the man. eating trust
that eat out the hearts tf the producer
Of wealth have only such property that il
invisible when the tax assessor appears
The sale of senatorial seats and congres
sional seats to the highest bidder on th,
Chinese plan for disposing of the variou
ranks of.jeweled mandarins, would doubt
less secure enough money to support hal
our public paupers, and the force ant
expense of the SO called popular election
would be saved. The thought is certail /
worth a careful coming by the prese At
owners that be-"