Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-10-14
a Note of Warninu.

Congressman Wyatt Aiken gave out
the following interview to the Ander-
son Daily Mail few days ago:
There is one phase of the primary
upon which desire to speak out open
ly and in unequivocal language, and
that is the growing tendency to use
money for the purpose Of corrupting
the ballot.
Let me say at the outset, that If
had been defeated l would not have
ventured a word on this subject, for
my protest would have been passed
over lightly as the wall of a defeated
candidate. Let me say further that l
have absolutely no selfish end, either
by way Of explaining past events or
influencing future events touching my
election. Having combatted the vote
buying process, a fact which l Will es-
tablish IL denial is made, / believe 1t
to be my duty, though 1t may be i'm
polite, to bring the matter squarely
before the public.
1.-The election or defeat Of any can
didate in a clean primary is perhaps
a matter of little moment; for the
clean ballot will ultimately rectify its
mistakes. But when the selecting
medium, the primary, becomes corrupt
and the tool of wealth, 1t parts COM
pany with the interests Of the masses
and DESTROYS the only safeguard OF
popular government.
"The candidate who buys a position
of trust will sell it; he virtually elects
himself and is responsible to nobody.
If, as Is often the case in the north,
his office is procured by corporate in
fluence, ne serves corporate interests.
In any event the peoples interests suf-
fer. They have nothing to expect ex-
cept from such of their servants as
are chosen by an honest ballot.
This practice of vote buying Is
growing in the state. The candidates
of Richland county, realizing the
danger of the situation, pledged them
selves to publish an itemized state
ment of their expenses. If some such
steps are not taken generally over the
state the time will come when poor
men must cease to aspire to hold
office. Ability, integrity and fidelity
will be set at naught, for the man who
will sell his vote for influence will do
so without regard to the purchasers
qualifications or traits Of character.
OF course, those men who can be
bought are not even a large minority,
but in q closely contested campaign
thev easily hold the balance Of power
"Our sober minded people should
stamp this practice with the seal Of
their disapproval so decidedly that
candidates who are given to mercenary
methods cannot face them. II we
would avoid such conditions as now
disgrace many northern states, We
must take this matter in hand at once
and vigorously.
We have very little to add to the
foregoing beyond our endorsement and
the observation that what Mr.. Aiken
say is true.
AS to whether there was any actual
vote buying in York county during the
recent primary campaign, we are un-
prepared to say. There were rumors
of such things; but they could not be
substantiated in a manner that would
warrant publication. However, there
was a great deal Of money used, and
some of was used in a way which, a
dozeI ye. RS ago would have been con-
sidere , s approaching dangerously
near to eruption; but which is now
regarded as legitimate. At the same
rate of progress for the next two or
three primaries that has been prevail
| ing for a number Of years past,
vote buying will be as common in
South Carolina as it is in many parts
of the north and west