The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-24
PLEDGED NOT 10 Buy VOTES
NHIANl pOIITWIiNs A0RGE 70
mr. ANN rms war
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formulated ~ leadlne Democrats and
approved hy tho organizations ~ both
tsrtlea In i've different cuuntlea afo applied
Ia tho STATE q, largo aud honee,ly followed,
indiana will -, n good esample Ia her sls,ef
states this year. The mefcenafy party
worker hs wcll ~ tho v~nal voter ls 10 he
eliminated, and tho vote when cas-, will
represent the sufragra n an u~npurchased
electomte only,
whe,her tho agreements ALREADY mads
and those which arr expected TO he made
| before tho formal opening ~ the campaign
will he honeetly carried out Ia Of courns
open to some suspicion, but the leaders
who have entered into them hav We pledged
their words M friends and n~eighbors to
live up to their terms honestly and faith
fully, and II In believed they will do 20.
The prime object Of the movement Ia to
stop the use Of money In elections. In Ave
counties the lea ders have got together
and signed agreements not to expend one
dollar at the coming election in the purchase
OF votes.
1t has also been agreed that there shall
he employed about the party headquarters
and in taking the party polls no man who Ia
known TO be purchasable or who Ia not recog-
nized as a party man and that the custom
Of keeping hangers on around the head
quarters on the pay roll at a dollar or 20 n
week, merely to keep them in line and pre-
vent the opposing party from purchasing
them, shall be abandoned at once.
1t is also provided in the agreement hat
no money shall be paid out for taking the
sixty day and thirty day polls, except in
certain designated wards in cities, and both
parties shall pay the same wage and employ
no man to whom the opposing party would
object because of known bad character.
The object of this, Of course, is to prevent
the packing OF the polls by INSCRIPTIONS
men and subsequent illegal voting under
names which have no existence in fact.
Another important part Of the agree
ments relates to the appointment Of in
spectors and judges at elections. These
are to be selected entirely outside of the
men who serve the committee in any ca
pacity whatever, and II possible careful
business men are to be chosen as judges and
clerks, to the end that neither party may
suffer from either lax or dishonest methods
in counting and tabulating the votes.
1t has been the custom in many counties
for years TO get on the election board as
many men as possible who are under OBJ
legations to the party having the appoint
ing power, and not ~infrequently men are in
| the pay Of the local committees while acting
In an official capacity. The agreements
require that such men shall have nothing 10
do with tho elections and no man shall re-
ceive a cent for serving on the election
boards save what Is paid him under the
law by the county.
Notice Is to be given publicly that there
shall be no hangers on about the committee
| rooms and that in no case will any one be
paid for party service. The secretary Of
the committee and photographers and type
writers, where employed, are exceptions to
the rule, az they are employed continue
ously.
While the Democrats are entering into
these agreements, and suggested their terms,
in fact, they expect to carry the matter
much further than they are asking the Re-
| publicans to go In the strong Republican
counties and In the State at large the man.
defeats which the party has met with and
the heavy expense to defeated candidates
have made men Of character shy Of asking
or even accepting nominations.
In this county, for instance, it has cost
from 50 600 to s. 900 to make a race for a
county office, and some men have been
crippled financially because Of the losing
races they have IA
Four years ago two nominees were carried
on the State ticket without paying a dollar
IA a political assessment, and 1t was UNDER
stood when they we're nominated that their
personal expenses In visiting different
parts OF the State would be the limit Of cost
to them. All assessments had to be made
very small and the campaign conducted
along the most economical lines.
The present campaign Ia going to be o
test Of Democratic fealty to principle in a
larger sense than the agreements with
the Republican leaders indicate, for an
effort Is making not only to enlist the better
class of Democrats in the work Of the cam
paiRn but to secure their services without
the expenditure of a dollar. The party
Is making no secret of the fact that it is
short of money and expects to be short
throughout the campaign. Many things
paid for two years ago will have to he done
for nothing this year.
The word has gone out to the county
organizations to keep their assessments
on candidates within the most moderate
bounds possible and to limit the campaign
expenses to actual needs for advertising,
speakers and getting the old and infrm
to the polls on election day. Neither the
State nor the county committee will pay
the expenses Of speakers this year, except
in the case OF men from other States. who
will be reimbursed for railroad fares and
hotel bills. Every Indianian who takes
the stump must do 80 for love Of party
and must go down into his own pocket to
meet the expenses Of his engagements.
Leading Democrats say that the fact
that the Republicans can omman moro
money than the Democrats can raise for a
campaign has nothing to do with the move
ment for better conditions in campaigns,
for they have taken the initiative simply
to weed out the venal partisan and get
men to take his place who will be a credit
to he party
They say that hundreds Of men OF high
character take no part in campaign work
simply because there are so many hirelings
in both parties. II it is known that there
Is no compensation save that which comes
to all members OF the party the hangers on
will keep aloof, they argue, and patriotic
men will take their places in the ranks
80 do oond both NV heir preaenca and bv