The Washington herald., 1907-07-20
SATURDAY. JULY 20. 1907.
Getting After vote-buyers.

Gov. Hughes, of New York, has signed
a bill amending and strengthening the
present law aimed at the prevention of
corrupt practices in State elections by
limiting the amount Of money which may
be lawfully spent by candidates and by
providing for judicial inquiry into the
use that has been made by candidates.
political committees, or citizens of con-
tributions for campaign purposes The
new law permits s;;eh an inquiry to be
initiated by any private citizen. who may
be represented by counsel Of his own
choosing. thus enabling those interested
IN the publication of elections TO take
measures for the punishment Of corrupt
practices without invoking officials who
may have been 5enefciaries Of corrup-
ton. OF who may for political reasons be
unwilling to undertake the prosecution Of
offenders.
Seth Low, New York's former mayor.
expresses the opinion that the law as now
amended IS the best corrupt-practices act
in the Union. for the reasons above given
He hopes that it viii now be possible TO
put a stop 10 the scandals which have
heretofore attached to the use of money
in New York elections, and predicts that
II any one hereafter attempts 10 indulge
in corrupt practices az elections he vii!
have to face the consequences Of a Judi
cial inquiry carried on with all the thor
oughness possible Attention is to be
given at once TO The methods employed
by Republican vote-buyers in Clinton
County. where it is alleged ballots were
bought wholesale for 81 apiece, and that
Of 1900 voters 1900 had sold their votes
Criminal prosecutions are contemplated
IN this case
Electoral corruption is an evil which
party leaders seek 10 gloss over, but it is
by no means an academic matter, as the
allegations in the Clinton County case
show. Similar allegations have been
made as TO election methods in many
other parts Of New York State, and like
charges are sufficiently familiar in the
politics Of Maryland, Rhode Island, West
Virginia, Delaware, and other States,
where there is admittedly a considerable
floating vote which must be bought and
paid for at every election. The admis-
sion in the decentralization cOntro-
versy over campaign contributions. that
fund of $4,000 had been raised on the
eve Of the election of 1904, when the cam
paign seemed ar a critical stage, aroused
at once the inquiry as 10 what disposition
had been made of so large a sum- The
presumption is strong that, as the cam
paign had been practically concluded, it
could not have been used for legitimate
purposes, and the known facts concerning
the corruption Of New York voters lends
color TO the suppOsitiOn that il vas en-
2loyed in the direct purchase of votes.
In many localities the sale of vote has
come 10 be looked on as a merely venial
Offense, and is concealed under some such
subterfuge as payment for time lost in
going TO the polls or for political services.
Where poll tax is levied, as in some Of
the Southern States. payment OF the
voters poll tax is a handy way Of secur-
ing HIS vote, but this is prevented, in
some OF those States, by a law requiring
the payment Of the tax in person.
We trust Mr.. Lows hope that vote-buy-
ing may be suppressed under the new
corrupt practices legislation viii be COM
pletely realized. Doubtless it will be If
patriotic electors invoke the authority
given them 10 initiate proceedings that
VIII divulge corruption and enable them
10 secure the prosecution Of the corrup-
tionists. Eternal vigilance is the price
Of purity in elections-the vigilance Of &C.
tive and honest citizens.