The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1901-01-30
-soodle and whlskey in PoIItics.

Editor of the Register
Now that the heat and passion OF
partisanship has been satiated fol
the time being, 1 do not feel il
amiss, yea, 1 feel it to be q duty
thatI owe to my fellow-man, to
call attention to some of the "pe-
cnliar" methods of party leaders
and their henchmen in their zeal
Ito down" their opponents, forget
ting home and family ties, honor,
patriotism and the sacredness of
the right of free, untrameled and
unpurchased suffrage. And these
"pecuIiar" methods are not con-
filmed to one party alone; the lead
ers and henohmen of both of the
| great parties are equally culpable
in aiding and abetting the great
wrong that is perpetuated against
the sacred right of suffrage in
the name of patriotism and liberty.
They both mistake partyism for
patai0tt8m and the "boodling" of
voters for free and pure ballot
Where is the pure, honorable,
patriotic citizen, no matter what
his party politics were, that could
look upon the majority of the
throng of strangers and some of
our own citizens that crowded our
streets on Friday, Saturday and
Monday preceding the late election,
and say that he was proud of them
as American freemen who were pre-
pairing to cast their free and un-
tramelled suffrages2 Even the lit
tie school boys and girls as they
wound and twirled their footsteps
through the throng on their way
from and to school knew it was not
patriotism that called forth the
gathering, but for the base and
ignoble purpose of selling their
influence, if not their votes, to the
party or individual who would pay
the highest price. And what was
the price2 Yon and 1 may never
know, for the bargain and sale was
made secretly. But this much is
known that during these three or
four days preceding the election
hundreds of jugs, supposed to con-
tain that (which steals away and
dethrones mans reason" were car
ried and hauled publicly away;
some in paper and some in cotton
sacks, some wrapped in lap robes
or old coats, and some without
even attempt at ooncealment. And
all this was in addition to the cheap
arrangements made with pint and
quart TASKS carried in the pocket.
OF the money consideration, and
presumably there was as much
and probably more money scattered
among "the boys" Gas the politic-
ians loUtngly called their hench-
men and purchasable voters
We have no means of arriving at
the amount, but sit was pie lty,"
no doubt.
No one individual can be charged
with this outrageous attack upon
the purity of the ballot box, but
rather it seems to be the general
result of system that has grown
up in recent years, without q
thought on the part of those who
have been participants in it, that
it is not honesty and good morale
yea, that it is a crime against the
laws on our statute books, fol
which punishment is provided fol
not only the giUer but also the
recetUer. Men who otherwise are
regarded as model citizens and pa.
rents, honest in all of their business
} relations and in support of the gov
ernment and it's laws, are said tc
have been contributors to and prob
ably in some instances dist1i6ItOr|
of this corruption fund" Anc
what for2 Certainly not in every
instance peouniary gain, nor ir
most cases selfish and personal
ends. Was it, then, for the mere
qualification of desire "to see the
other fellows beat" because they
did not belong to their partyP II
so, the purpose was an ignoble one
and beneath the dignity of a patriot
and lover of his country. And
here is where we find partyiSn'
overlapping patriotism.
Is there not remedy for this
great wrong: We know there is
and it rests with there personalities
of the two great parties to say
i : A -.lsal