The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-01-22
BUYING AND SELLING VOTES.
Some Thoughtful Remarks upon mn
Evil of To-day,

To the Editor OF The Post,
Lockhart. Texas. January 49,. Having
noticed In the press an intimation that the
democratic party may incorporate in its
next platform plank denunclatory of the
criminal use OF money in popular cleo
tons, the writer at the risk OF being
charged rs an unwelcome intruder upon
prevailing customs. will offer for the con
sideratiou OF your readers few
facts and reflections, reminiscent and
otherwise, bearing upon that sub
iect In times past before the advent
of millionaires whom public sentiment was
dlvided upon great economic measures, po-
httoal parties emuatng for success, or
ganized their executive committees com
posed Of members of known party fealty,
Personal honesty and integrity selected n
respective of their bank accounts In
those dpyS lne ballot was held sacred aud
All phases Of bribery and corruption. II
not troWned down Ia their inception we're
punished promptly when committed and
tho guilty partea consigned 10 an unen
viable retirement Per contra what Il The
history OF later yoars2 Executive commit
ices copsistipg If millionaire membels
and hogsee With barrels o money.
avelled bv forced contributions from sal
Nied officers from whose ostent atious
headquarters willing tools are commits.
stoned % DO their bidding in manipulating
the purchseahle vote, when and whore tho
same Is needed 10 secure their selfish ends.
This was tho case in 1895 Win it be re
pestod IN this the closing wear Of tbs
Nineteenth century,
In order % refreshen the public
MIND regarding tho w'despreed evil
Of ths rahie in suffrage and is demoraha-
ing inluence--the outcome Of republican
domination since the War-the following
extracts from high Northern authorities
showing its existence. especially IN the
Northern and Western States. as far back
as 1928. is here given,
The November number OF the Century
magazine of above year containing a long
article from A New Hampshire contributor
has the comments below OF the editor upop
the same:
We publish among our open Letters q
somewhat startling account BY Mr.. j. Il.
Harrison oi the extent 70 which dehsuch-
ment OF the suffrage has been carried IN
New Hampshire He estimates the num-
Der OF purchasahle votes In the state az 10
per cent OF the whole which is tho estt-
mate that the Providence Journal made a
year or moro ago In regard to tho same
class of votes In Rhode Island, Prof j, }.
Mccook, writing in the Forum for Sep
'NHAN''s fe'-s plAStl knc number OF NtliAl
voters In Connecticut at more than rs per
cent OF the whole number, 0ur readers
have not forgotten the remarkable article
which Prof. Jeremiah W. Jerks contrib
uted TO the Century for October. 1892, in
which he showed that In many localities In
New York state the percentage OF venal
voters ranged from 10 to So per cent that
In Michigan about por cent is said to
be the average number, and that In other
Western states the percentage goes much
higher IN exciting elections.
~ can not he said. therefore. that Mr.
Harrisons figures for New Hampshire ara
too high to be accepted without question
The saddest part ~ his statement II that
Declaring thar a large proportion OF tho
whole number Of purehasahle votes IN the
state are hose Of naive New Englanders
Prof MeFook'S estimates for Connection,
showed over me half 10 he American
Prof ients made no estimate of n1tlanai
'ltiFf' but he cited many rsfet hos',nE
that smeps thqss most ready 20 sell their