The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-01-24
DISHONESTY IN
RHODE ISLAND DEEPSEATED

Gospel. not morality, not practical NOR
a1ity.
The corruption of the voters NJ the
towns of Rhode Island is so ancient and
SO common that Governor J4ueius r C.
Garvin addressed in March, 1902. "spe-
cia1 Message Concerning Bribery in Elee-
lions to the Honorable, the General As
sembly." &C.:
Gentlemen: In a considerable
number of our towns bribery Is so COM
mon and has existed for so many years
that the awful nature of the crime has
ceased to impress In some towns the
bribery takes place openly; is not called
bribery, nor considered serious matter.
The money paid to the voter whether
two, five, or twenty dollars. is spoken Of
as payment for his time The claim that
the money given to the elcctor is not
for the purpose of influencing his vote.
but is compensation for time lost In
visiting the polls, is the merest sophistry,
and should not deceive any adult citizen
of ordinary intelligence. 1t is well know
that in such towns, when one polite i
party is supplied with a corruption fund
and the other is without, the party so pro-
vided Invariably elects its assembly
ticket, thus affording positive proof that
the votes are bought and the voters
bribed
This startling official arraignment had
no appreciable effect within the state. It
was too true. But the message attracted
outside attention, and Mr.. Edward Lowry
of the New York Evening Post and Mr..
r
Republican made Investigations so thor
ough and reports so complete that though
I went over the same ground with more
time and more deliberation, found moth
ing to correct and little to add to their
facts.
We have blamed our laws and our con-
stitution long enough, and in turn we
have charged our disgrace to our foreign
population, to the rff-raff of the cities,
to our politicians to our business men.
And now, in Rhode Island, the American
farmer is the guilty fool and his fellow
eulprits are American captains of finance,
law and politics. Are they alone at fault?
I cannot see it so. 1t seems to me that,
in one way or another we all are at
fault The provision of the Rhode Island
constitution which lodged the dominant
power out in the country simply pointed
to the farmer as the first man to cor
rupt, and he proved corruptible only be-
cause the strain came hardest upon him.
His power should be spread out over the
whole population but then the pressure
will bear hardest upon the political rep
resentatives of the people, and we know
from other states that the representatives
will sell, If there are offers to buy; and
we know that the business representa-
II es will offer to buy. And we know
that we will all condone or submit, for
some consideration-cash or protection,
office or friendship, party loyalty or COM
fort.
Rhode Island will have reform when we
all have reform; when we are all willing
to make sacrifices for the sake of our
country and our self-respect; when the
American farmer will give up his two or
thirty dollars pay for time lost in vot-
ing" when the business man will be con-
tent to do a little less business" when
the manufacturer will risk his unneces-
sary protective tariff (the graft not the
protection), when the captains of finance
will be content with honest profit; when
the clergy will face the loss of their
position" and financial grief and RUM
rather than "be put under the ban of
political immortality and forced to ac-
quiesce in evil"