Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-06
sELF-INTEREsT RULES.
That Party Wins Elections which Appeals
Most Strongly 10 Mans Selfish and
SOrdid InAtinotA

Many man Is called incorruptiblo
who Is bribed every day Of his life.
Many nation, including our own
just ut present, has been bribcd with
out realizing II.
The man who would rage lustiiiably
at the suggestion of u bride, the man
who would spurn an offer of any
amount from another, can be easily
brihcd by the money in his own
pocket
This writer has in mind n man OF
great ability who illustrates singu-
larry well the corruptlng power that
lies IN u mans own money.
When the man mentioned was
Young he was enthusiastic In the
cause of the people. His ideas were
sound, his ambitions lofty. He had
nothing, and his sympathlcs went out
to others who were rs poor rs he. To-
day his nmost feelings and ideas IRE
the same rs of yore. But his finNn-
ciul condition has changed. There
used To be nothing in his pockets. Now
his bank account, safe deposit vault
and real estate foot up S2O,OOO,0OO,
The mans daily life Is At variance
with the good instincts that We're
planted in him originally.
lie used earnestly to sympathize
with every effort to increase wages
when he worked for wages. Now he
pays wages, and the money in his
pocket corrupts him and impels him
TO cut down where he cNn and to
grudge where he might well be
| liberal.
TO friendly critic he will say in
perfect good faith;
"Property has II quieting influence.
Money brings responsibility. Consist
ency is all very well, but financial
matters often change the early hasty
views" etc.
The money in his pocket corrupts
him; he Is bribed by his own fortune
to violate his conscience, No other
mans money could tempt him to go
against that which he knows to he
right, His own fortune thinks for
him, acts for him and changes him.
The republican party managed to
create the impression that with them
lay financial prosperity.
If Il voter suid
TRUSTS are dangerous, vicious anc
Illegal"
The republican party replied;
"lf you destroy trusts you will
brighten rich men; rich men will lock
up their money and you will not be
able TO get any of It,"
The country, brihed by its pockets,
voted to continue the trusts in power.
An extremely intelligent politician,
Mr.. Steckler, said to this writer long
before elections
"The savings bank depositors decide
elections. If the republicans once
succeed in frightening them they are
sure to win
The republican party, with ingen-
ious fnlsehood and plausible talk, did
succeed in frightening the savings
bank depositors,
1t was no great sum that bribed the
average savings bank dcpoSitors.
Seventy dollars, 500, perhaps $500
sutliced in tens of thousands of cases
to dwarf all noble considerations in
the mind of the voter
Imagine the average Woodworking
man saying to the republican party:
"Why do You ignore the decara-
ton of independence? What excuse
have you to offer for changing our
system Of government without the
peoples conSent?"
The republican party replied:
"Ncver mind the declaration of indie
pendcnce, and as to your question,
we don't want any excuse. Listen TO
this, You have $500 in the savings
bank, haven't you? Very we'll. Vote
for the democrats and the money will
shrink to 500"
The statement is false, and the voter
feels that il Is false. Yet he has some
slight dread that there may he some
thing In it, He knows all about his
$500. He pats and loves the greasy
brown bank book. About other things
he can only speculate.
Compared to his real 5000 the dec
hration of independence itself is of
speculative Importance.
He looks at his brown bank book
with the entries so slowly and labo-
riously made and votes for the repub-
lican party. hribcd by his own money.
There has been much talk of
corruption in election. much talk of
bribery and OF Il vast fund for buying
voters.
Such fund existed and was used
of course.
But the real corruption fund to be
dreaded lies in the voters own pockets.
The party which can use that fund
apparently can win in this country.
The democrats must bear that in
mind and be prepared to add to those
arguments which appeal to the mind
and to patriotic influences others that
shall appeal also to the pocket.
II will not be time wasted for dem
ocrots to think of this during the next
four years.--N. y. journal.