The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1905-12-22
CORRUPT IN POLITICS.
Buying Legislators and Voters -.
Pracuced by Republican
Tricksters.

corruption Of the voters at election,
Is the primary cause OF nearly ali IN,
eFps In American politics. When ia,
root Is diseased IL is useless TO expect
healthy and well developed plant
and likewise when the voters are cor
rupted the body polite is sure TO d,
ulstempered and unsound. II only m.
most degraded voters could be corrupt.
ed the bad effect would not be 90 dis.
astrous, for such would be but a smar
percentage OF the whole. but unfortu.
hately some OF the well-to-do who ara
considered respectable people In their
communities, are equally yenal Thers
mas always been, perhaps. some cor.
rupuon OF voters and bargaining with
or purchase OF officials, but the climax
was reached at the national election
OF 1896, when every one who could hs
discovered that was open TO convic-
ZION was offered induce rnents To yot.
lhe republican ticket. BOYS inst n,
age and about TO cast their drst vot q
were debaucbed with the vast sums
OF money furnished by the CORPORA
eiohs and banks and the tariff-fostereci
trusts, the life insurance companies
ana all the host OF those who wers
noiuins some special privilege TO plum
DER the people. Evidence has been AZ.
cunuiatlng OF the extent of the polit-
icai debauchery in that campaign and
IN those that have followed A species
Oh political CRATER has been bred tina,
hothlng but stringent laws will sun
press and the evils that have develop-
ed VIII take years TO eradicate. The
democracy has, fortunately for thar
party not been tempted by money do
mated by the combines and corpora-
tlons 10 buy men like sheep in the
shambles and thus has ESCAPED politi-
cal prostitution, as a party. but indi.
Viduals. heretofore counted as demo-
Gratis, have sat on the fence until thew
got their price"
Public opinion in some states became
SO aroused 10 the evils that prevailed
that corrupt practices acts" have
been passed by the legislatures. but
none have gone 20 the root of the evil.
TO compel candidates for Office and
their committee to report under oath
the amount OF money they have re-
ceived and discussed is utterly useless
as remedy. Such publicity can easily
be evaded, for the candidates or tha
Official committees of parties. might
not expend a cent and yet there could
be gross corruption employed by 9TH
ers, Who occupied no known political
position and who. In fact. might NOT
even be known by the candidates.
DIT G. +. Taylor, editor OF the Medl-
cal World. In the November issue Of
that journal calls attention to the chief
feature OF the English corrupt prac-
tices act which was enacted TO abol-
ish similar conditions that prevailed
there in the last century. He notes
that the chief feature OF the law is
self-operative. for it substantially pro-
vides:
IF the defeated side can prove that
the successful side used corrupt meth.
purchased vote or cheated in
any way-then the victory is initiated,
and the minority party assumes OF. !
fee" And he further says: This
causes a contest for purity as well as
for victory; for victory without purity
is likely TO be turned into defeat. How
much better this is than our method
Of contendlDg for victory regardless Of
corruption. The result is that corrup- 1
ton Is rife almost everywhere in our
electoral system"
A provision. such as above. in a cor
rupt practices act In the several states
would act as an incentive to all the
friends of candidates to be watchers
II the polls and detectives to discover
political corruption.
Not content with furnishing the
money TO buy voters. the corporations
Who have special interests depending
ipon legislation also disburse enor-
nous sums to purchase city councils,
legislatures and even congress The
obbyists who barter for the votes OF
he representatives of the people are
quite as dangerous as the primal brib-
rs OF the voters. and more difficult to
onvict and eradicate under the pres
mt system, for their work is done
With but little chance Of exposure un. :
ess the thieves fall out or some one
urnc states evidence.
Voters should be impressed with the
act that all these vast sums that are {
pent on political debauchery have
cen FIRST taken from themselves under
he form Of legalized robbery BY pre- :
enting this corruption they will at i
be same time protect their own peck
IS. In short time the many would :
ave fair share of what now goes to {
ne few and national honesty would re- I.
llt :