The Democratic advocate., 1907-07-26
The Bribery Evil at Elections.
From the Baltimore Sun.

From the Baltimore Sun.
Clinton county, New York, has $4,000
voters. Afidavits have been made to the
effect that at last falls election not less than
1000 of these sold their votes. This is prob
ably larger proportion of venal and corrupt |
voters that can be found in any county of the |
Eastern Shore of Maryland. But what will
cause more astonishment on the Eastern
Shore than the extent of the corruption Is the
pitiful sum for which American citizens were
willing to part with their honor and self re-
spect. The New York papers declare that
many atidavits were filed with the Association
to Prevent Corrupt Practices, showing that
the Republican organization bought votes
wholesale for 81 each. On the Eastern Shore
a man who has his own vote TO sell, along with
those of several sons, has, according to cur
rent reports, received enough for the "block'
to carry him through the winter without work.
In Queen Anne's county it has been reported
that as high as $50 has been paid for one vote
at primary election. In the presence OF
such figures as these the current prlce Tor
votes in Clinton county appears mean and
measly. In New York a corrupt practices
law has been in force many years which has
enioyed high reputation outside the State.
That law requires can didates and party COM
mittees to make statements OF campaign
expenditures and expenses. 1t is now charged
that statements made in obedience to this law
have been false, and there the matter has
rested. Under the Massachusetts Corrupt
Practices act, in order to question or lnVestl'
gate the truth of the statements OF expenses,
the initiative must be taken by the Attorney
General or the local prosecuting attorney,
and it is said that these officials have seldom
or never taken the trouble to do so. At the
late session of the New York Legislature
new corrupt practices act was passed and has
lust been approved by Governor Hughes.
This new law provides for a thorough legal
inouiry as to the use that has been made OF
money spent or contributed by candidates or
| by political committees or by citizens in cam
| paigns. The law permits this inquiry to be
initiated by private citizens, who can be rep
resented by their own counsel. Therefore,
| when anyone engages in corrupt practices un-
der this law, it is believed that he will have to
face the consequences of a thorough Judicial
| investigation, carried on earnestly and serl-
| ously, and not as play to the galleries.
The General Assembly of Maryland has
been urged for many years to enact proper
corrupt practices act, and if this New York
act should prove effective, it will make good
model upon which our Legislature can work
next winter. Time after time, while making
| protestations in regard to pure and free elec,
itons the Legislature has failed to take any
practical measures for purifying them. The
popular demand for decency cannot be much
| longer denied with impunity, and whichever
party may be in power at Annapolis next
winter. it will make fatal bunder if a proper
corrupt practices law is not enacted. The
demand of the people is insistent, because the
evil of vote buying in this State has spread
| and increased to such proportions that popu'
lar government is imperiled. lu many OF the
| counties public officials are no longer elected
by the free votes of the majority, but by pur-
chased and corrupt votes, and the man who is
selected" may not be the real choice OF the
majority of the voters.
The evil is on the increase, and politics is
becoming more and more corrupt. Men who,
few years ago, would have rejected with IN
dignation an offer of money for their votes
now eagerly put up their manhood Tor sale 10
the highest bidder. They no longer have
scruples, nor honor, nor political principles.
They vote for one side as cheerfully as for the
other when the price is paid. They are SIM
ply political prostitutes and have lost all sense
of shame. To send a batch of these creatures,
| along with the men who have bought their
| votes, to the penitentiary and let them spend
| a term at hard labor would have a most salu-
tary effect. And their neighbors would not
forget the lesson, because they would ever
afterward wear the brand of disfranchisement,
which the Governor could not remove by Il
pardon.
There are laws on the statute books OF
MARYLAND for the punishment of bribery when
it is proved 1t is the business of the Cover
nor of the State to execute the laws, and
Governor Warfeld has announced that it is
his purpose to enforce the laws against bribery.
He has a fund which can be devoted to this
righteous purpose, and he declares he will use
it to the best advantage in purifying elections
| in this State IT. this determination the de-
cent people of the State will uphold him. We
have good election system by which votes
are honestly counted and declared. But what
does it avail to make an honest count of dis
| honest and corrupt votes ?