The Penn's Grove record., 1909-10-08
A Call To People To Stop Bribery

A Call To People To Stop Bribery
TO the Patriotic CT izens of Salem County
FELLOW CITIZENS: At a late meet
ing OF n.en active Ill the councils O1 the
Democratic party, IL was determined to
make an active effort " eliminate vote
buying from elections i'll this county.
Clark Petit, Isaac Cline, }. Walter
fancoast OF Salem; john Cooper, OF
Elmer, and William Hannah, OF Penns-
Vile, were appointed a committee TO
devise methods to effect this purpose.
This committee now soliclts pledges
of contribution to a fund OF SOU, TO W
offered as a reward Tor evidence that
Will secure the first CONVICTION OF any
one guilty of two offences OF bribery, Oh
attempted bribery, at the coming cleo
ton; and also cash subscriptions to De
used i'll other ways to detect and prose-
cute the guilty. We solicit from men-
beers OF all parties, wherever their
homes, whose patriotism rev0lts at the
present debauchery OF Our political con-
tests, anu Who desire again to secure
electlOns democratic in fact, as well as
i'll form. Contributions to this fund
will not be called for unless the convlc-
ton Is secured, and sincea Republican
Legislature has emaSculated the La WIS 50
tina apenalty for The first Offence Is a
paltry three years. distranchisement, 1t
Is necessary thai the conviction be tOr
two Offences. We shall need some ACT
ual cash for other purposes. Subscrip
lions may be sent 10 j. Walter Pan
coast, chairman OF the committee, Or 10
any OF Its other members.
SO far as | have knowledge this is the
first year that either of the Two greater
parties have declared againoJ the use Of
money to corrupt influence voters Ill
The verdict they render at the polls. 1t
would be a boon to our county II The Re-
piiblicanS would assume a similar POSI-
tlOl. Ii they fear Democratic treach-
cry, let them devote some OF their
money usually used Ill vote buying, to
ferreIlng out and Furnishing tile guilty
among their poliLlcal opponents. They
may rcSi assured tile committee appoint
I'd NY tile Democrats 10 have charge OF
this matter will perslstently investigate,
and relentleSSly prosecute those against
whom we may secure evidence. Surely,
wnen "a majority 0f Tie vote OF the
county Is SAID 10 be purchaseable, 1t Is
full time that patriotic men Of both par
ties should awaken TO the seriousness OF
this evil and decree 1t destruction.
Eilmenatlng patriotism and putting
it solely on Lie plane OF self Interest,
thlra nn1Inlnta, Qd cAltISlnpcI if GnffI.
Gently enlightened, would so decree.
Nothing Is more certain than that vote
buying DegetS corrupt government,
local, state and national, and that The
lax payers and the poor ultimately foot
the bill, with "a lalge gratulty Included.
That was I u OF New York undel
Tweed, 1t has later been true OF Phlla.
delphia AID Plttsburg III the East, and
OF Chicago, st. Louis andSa francisco
III the West. Everywhere The men who
buy an cleo ion expect to reap "a profit
from the money invested ill Its purchase.
1t may be admitted thai The public i'll
tereSts do not always sut1er Immediately
and directly. For instance, d county
: official may purchase his election and
= yet efficiently discharge his duties, hni
! The VOTERS he izeorrupls Cab later be
bfibed to vote Tor Congressman and
State Legislators who are the attorneys
OF tools OF great corporations, which
furnish Lhecampalgn funds that They
may secure Legislation that Will enable
them TO reap all ample harvest by grant
OF privileges to exploit the public.
VINO does not believe thai Tariff re.
vision has proven such a fiasco thai
near at heart the interests OF The people,
Lave felt compelled. TO denounce 1t III
the Senate ana before their constituents
only because the protected interests con-
tribute heavily 10 the campaign fund OF
the Republican party? Why should
American products OF the protected H.
dustrieS sell for SO much more at home
than abroad and a protective tariff be
levied Oh products that CAN be produced
more cheaply here than anywhere else
In the world, but that congressman
must reward those who elect them.
Let no poor man deceive himself with
the idea that the money he gets for his
vote is clear profit. Probably every
dollar he gets costs him every year from
five to ten dollars in ways he cannot
see, but nOne the less certain.
If, after a Ease in Court goes to the
jury, the contestants we're allowed ac-
cess to the jury and permitted to,bribe
It's members and this resulted in the
rich always securing the verdict against
the poor, would poor men call that JUS
lice? Would they 10 revolt and VIC
iently assall such a travesty? In cleo
lions, questions greater than those that
arise between individuals in Court, are
decided. The voters are the Jurors.
Ii tho Sc jurors sell their votes, can we
have a just verdict? Would it not BIZ
better to put the offices up at public
auction and knock them down to the
hlghe t bidder? Practically, isn't that
what We do now? Who are responsible?
Not only The men VINO do the dirtiest
work; o even those whose high caste
and repugnance to dirt limits them to
the more respectful (?) but no less cul-
pable crime OF furnishing thefunds, but
every citizen who allows LiIis CO. ldition
to 60 on year after ye.r +, constantly
growing worse without effort to pre-
vent, and salveS his conscience with
The weak declaration that nothing can
be done.
How do WI know nothing can be
done till a stronger effort has been made
than has ev r been made here in the
past? If the efforts of one candidate a
few years since, backed, more or less
generally, by the hearty cooperation Of
his party associates could produce the
effect then WrOugb. what NAV not he
done If even a moiety of those who at
heart condem bribery, would voice
their convictions in no uncertain tones
and denounce by their ballots, 1.-THE only
denuciation politicians regardn) the par
ty that elects to wallow in the niire.
In platfr0m and in speech Republican
politicians and ora ors parade and eu-
logic the greatness OF Lincoln, that
they may profit from the reflected lus-
tie of his fame ann virt"es wt'