Washington sentinel., 1900-12-01
T,,T ~, SENTINEL

II the practice
THE BUYING Of buying votes,
or vorrs says "F; A, RI
OF NOlES' in the Baltimore
Sun, is not broken up it will attain
TO such an extent that elections
will universally be decided by the
corrupt use OF money, and not oY
the free will OF the people.
Campaign contributions and SUB
scriptions by vested interests Tor
the defrayment OF election eXPen-
ses were practically unknown IN
the politics Of the United states
until after the close OF the Civil
War. The poorest and most OBJ
scure man in the backwoods would
have promptly resented as an IN
suit any proposition looking to the
purchase OF his vote. 1t is true
there were election frauds; witness
the PlaQuemines frauds in LOUIS
lana and the repeating and false
counting carried on under Know
Nothing auspices in the city OF
Baltimore. But bribery, which
has now taken deep root in every
doubtful State and every doubtful
Congressional district in the entire
Union, had no part in the deter
mination Of election contests.
A REPUBLICAN PRODUCT.
It is one Of the manifold bless
ings which has come through the
rise and progress Of the Repuoli-
can party. From campaign to
campaign il has grown and grown
until now it fourishes like a green
bay tree. The story told in the
Sun of Kent is startling enough,
heaven knows. II is very far from
being the whole story if any reli-
ance can be placed on the current
political gossip which floats ia this
direction. According to this a
sum in the neighborhood OF $780,
600 was spent in the interest OF the
Republican Electoral and Con-
Pressional ticket on the Eastern
Shore OF Maryland. The same
policy OF buying votes was prac-
ticed in every county on the West
ern Shore, and rumor places the
expenditure at $50, 900.
Il is not understood that any
vote-buying Of consequence was
done in the city OF Baltimore. 1t
seems to be the fact that in the
large cities there is not much OF
this kind of business. For various
reasons it is rather a dangerous
operation in the cities and one
which is very likely to get those
concerned into trouble.
OTHER METHODS IN CITIES.
There are other methods of i'm
properly influencing city voters,
which are Literally availed Of
methods perhaps not so bad as
bribery, but certainly of charac-
ter which those responsible for
would hesitate very long before in
Producing into private business
transactions. Politics in the United
States is fast becoming a vast gam
bling game, where brag, bluff,
trickery and stacked cards are the
leading features. The principal
players show very often that pri-
vate motives, not public policy,
influence all their actions.
The campaign in Maryland just
ended furnishes more than one
striking illustration Of this. Sus-
picions were entertained, and upon
several occasions found utterance,
that several gentlemen supposed
to be active in promoting Mr..
Bryan's prospect at heart were
really taking no interest in the
cause and in a covert way were
throwing all the cold water upon
it hey could. These charges were
Indignantly denied b. those af-
fected. Since the election the
stories have been revived and
brought to Washington by Mary
land Republicans, who make great
sport over it, and affirm that they
know what they are talking about.
"HIs FIGHT NEXT YEAR"
q. very prominent Maryland
Democrat OF the regular persua-
sion, speaking to me a night or
two before the election of another
not less prominent than he, said:
Il believe if he thought it would
not be found out he would plump
in a vote Tor Mckinley" A friend
OF mine, who does not reside in the
State Of Maryland--a man worthy
OF all con6dence-told me the gen
tleman who has for years been
known as the Democratic boss Of
Baltimore said to him in October
that he was taking no interest in
the fight; that it was not his fight;
his hpht would come next year.
One OF the most noted Demo
cratic ward bosses OF Baltimore,
who was ostensiblY working very
hard tor Bryan, in his confidential
moments had no hesitation in ex-
pressing the most cordial wishes
for his defeat. All Of these gen
tlemen will be in the fight next
year in Maryland tooth and toe
nail, because II will be their fight,