The herald., 1898-10-19
MONEY m PoLITICS
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Observing persons must notice with hu
initiation and regret tendency to give
moneyed influence" . prominence In po
htlcal campaigns to degree dangerous tc
good morals ana good government. There
may be . legitimate political campaign fund
crested By political party to meet ossen
tial expenses to BE- incurred in bringing the
principles and candidates of the party prop
eriy before the people. Renting Of hall.
distributing Of political literature, and many
incidental expenses must be provided tor
ana paid in any lair campaign, and tho funds
ior these expenses are usually provided in
the earlier stages of the contest.
Later on IN the campaign, however, many
people become apprehensive that some Sc
cret hand is using fund to control such
votes as may be changed or to buy those
which may be purchasable. That such
| every one believes; that it will be attempted
IN this campaign, no one doubts; that it
should be prevented, every honest man
comedies
Principles should govern political action,
not money. Better disfranchse voter
than to buy his vote. The former is the
lesser evil; both are wrong The one af-
fects the rights oil the person, the other the
morals of the people. The one restricts Il
personal right, the other debases that per-
sonal right, and infuses poison into the body
polite, destroys manhood and corrupts
society.
Practical, successful business men select
men of good capacity, and withal of integ-
rity, for their agents in business. This
brings to the business clientage, and pat
rons of like character and the business be-
community is thereby benefited. The same
course should be pursued in politics, but an
opposite course is chosen. The election IL
close one. 1t is feared by certain classes Of
business mentor instance bankers or man
ufacturers- the principles Of one or the
other of the political parties, if successful,
would injure the particular business in
question. To defeat this party, or it may
be to defeat some particular candidate Of the
party, this class of business men contribute
of their money to the campaign fund, for
what purpose TO be used and by what
hands to be disbursed they know not. Their
object is to defeat a certain political party,
and elect the supporters of another regard
less of how their contributions are to be dis
bursed. Perhaps if they knew the channel
their funds would course and the results in
their course, they would not contribute at
all. After the fund for legitimate expenses
toned in this article, where is the authority
in honest politics to collect another fund
and for what purpose is that fund to be COL
lected, and who are to he the custodians
of the fund, and who the disbursers, and for
what and to whom is it to be paid, are ques-
tions which suggest themselves to most men,
II this fund is not for legitimate purpose
it must be for an illegitimate one, and in
elections the unlawful use of money is
made by corupting the voter, not only in
the bald way of bribing him by paying him
money for his vote direct, but by taking
advantage OF his necessities and circum-
stances and giving him tips in work, tips
in drink, and even when he is in need, by
putting on the livery of heaven and giving
him aims, all of which are conditioned that
he must vote the will of the giver, and not
his own principles.
The man who has been bribed to vote
has been led to commit crime. The man
who bribes another to vote is a criminal at
heart; and what is the status of the man
who blindly contributes to these results, or.
knowing of them, winks at them? If
moneyed men were as astute in politics as
they are in business, the corruption fund Of
the political boss and boodler would run
low. Let every conscientious citizen vote
for .men. not influenced by a political
boodler, they are both unknown quantities.
the boodler, the mysterious hand, the boss,
the mysterious influence. Do not drop
your contribution into this mysterious hand
or cast your vote with this mysterious in
fiuence. If You do, your money and your
vote may serve the worst Of purposes.
T,MY