The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-10-28
THE MENACE .OF CORRUPT PRACTICES
Methods of the Republican State
 Convention Are MercilessIy Exposed
ATTY. RUSSELL'S GREAT TALK
States Core Menaced by EIec- ton Venalism Which Has Grown up Under Republican ism


 Republican convention methods a mer- ciless flaying in his address on Cor fuptt Practices and as he scored one after another telling points, demon strations of applause showed the ef- feet of his fauItIess logic and his merclIesS expose of corruption in the buying up of nominations and cleo tiOns.
 Gracefully acknowledging Mayor
 Buckingham's introductory tribute, he
 sald he felt that the sense of his de
 pr1ate himself. all the encomium. but
 the best he could do would be to try
 to live up to the high standard the
 speaker had outlined
 The subject in hand that of Cor5 rupt4 Practices, he said he considered
 the most vital issue of the campaign
 Tn talking to several of my friends, ' said Attorney Russell. T was told that it was useless to talk to the Connec- ticut Democrats on that subject They
 have become so used to this thing that they are tired of it. they said. I don't believe it. I don't believe that the people approve of this thing, I don't believe shall waste my breath in talking here. If it. were to prove a waste of breath I would despair of my ability, T believe this is a more important question than any of the issues that have been discussed, even the tariff, for I believe it is the oues- tion Of whether the Government by the people shall live. Government by the corrupt use of money is not govern nnenI Dy the people. It IS govern nent invariably for the special inter- ests against the people. To use the language of the famous speech at Gettysburg. Government by the cor rupt use of money is government of the people by the special interests for the special interests.
 'EIf- the workfngmen don't get their rights it is because the workingrnen have not proved the power which they have. I have contempt for the man who despises wealth as such but I do say that wealth corruptly used in politics is a great enemy of us all. A Republican government by a con stituency which is venally debauched is the worst kind of a government"
 The speaker then read the plank of the Democratic, platform having to do with the Corrupt Practices Act. ftThe Republican party has not word to say on that subject and I am not astonished that that is so Re- gard for consistency would prevent their. mentioning it.
 ''Tf1e issue of Corrupt Practices and the misuse of money is fairly and squarely raised in the platform of the Democratic party It is not lifted out of the platform of the Republican party The act Of 1907 was emascu- lated by the Republican legislature by leaving out that portion of the act requiring the statement ~Sof the ex- penses of candidate and the Aeaving for the taking tof testimony under oath in the investigation of elections, and for the lack of the latter section yourss rsszown States Attorney down here in Flairfe1 e1d;4 County found: it% iI11possi- ble to prosecute criminals.
 ''Ifs we .are to believe the testimony that we get. from Republican. sources money has influenced this campaign these nominations have been sold to the highest bidder yet if we are to believe Republican testimony there is sufficient evidence of that proposition The truth of the situation is this-that the Republican party has been in power so long that nomination is held ciple apparently that the tail goes with the hide If you believe that this is so. if the Republican voters believe that is so that. the represen- ment1 in selecting candidates have sold out these nominations the question for the Republicans is simply this: Will you rat tify the sale and deliver the goods? I cannot understand how any elf-respecting Republican if he believes that to be the case can vote for the candidates whose nominations were so procured.
 'tI can imagine very poor and a very mean man selling his vote, for it is eshis vote and he doesn't affect Iy crime. But if you permit your representatives to conventions to sell your votes and then you deliver the goods and vote to ratify the bar gain, that IS political slavery I thor oughly believe that it is a fundamen- tai question, and that the people will never get their rights in legislatio unless they are prepared to stand by their rights and resist the tempter who seeks to corrupt them and they see to it that men are put into pub lie office who cannot be tempted in this way.
 'sContrast the tickets offered by the and Republicans. No nom nees on the Democratic ticket sought nOnjn9 ti0n q by the free and independent choice of. the convention. What have we on the other side? The issue is raised whether you will elect men nominated in that way. without a suspicion of corruption or corrupt influences or whether you will elect men nominated ions @are believed to have been made. |
 '.If you desire to rid our State of | hat corruption for which I am sorry | ,o say it has attained preeminence, 1 nave lost the sense of shame and | cease to desire better things, vote for | he Republican ticket and see. your | tights and liberties sold out.
 FsEverywhere you hear the same | story of Republican disintegration. l The party is filled with yawning 1 ,is hands on his neighbors throat. l The Democratic party is unanimous. l have yet to hear of dissatisfied l There are Republicans l enough dissatisfied with corruption to 1 yain the election provided you can | 1oId on to your Democrats. The ques- 1 ion of the election then of Judge | Baldwin simply depends on whether | we have an honest election.
 s'The men who have nominated their l as they have, will not hesi- i ate to purchase the election if it i an bs purchased, I want to say this. l hat while the man who sells his vote l md the man who purchases votes is a raitor, he is in a special way an ,nerny to the poor man because he | las sold out to the corrupt capitalist who is especially the enemy of the poor man.
 ssI remember hearing once the speech If Charles Schurz in which he said, Remember workingmen that a cor upt government was never a poor
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