The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-11-17
NO VOTE BUYING IN BEDDING BUT
 MUCH IN WESTON
In One Town Leaders Agree Up-
 on Honest Election.
But in Other Town They Don't
 EvenSay "What Fora"

The financial element of the Bedding Republican campaign was chiefly con- spicuous by it's lack, it being a mere nothingness as compared with the pe- cuniary plenty of the past. Indeed the buying of votes here was of such proportions and long prevalence that it had come to be regarded as a matter of course. More than that some bene- ficiaries of the practice viewed this recurring election bounty less as the consideration in a barter than as donation belonging to the season. like roses in June or fruits in autumn, kindly gift of Providence which it was natural to expect and would have been unseemly to reject or question. To this class of the electorate, therefore, the drying up of the fountains gave the impression of something withheld which was their due It's withholding came about through a virtuous resolve of the party managers to have one clean election. At a meeting of the Republican Town Committee, the can didates, and party leaders. held at the residence of Chairman Barnett before the election. some one advanced this novel proposition and although it pro- duced surprise mingled with diSmay, it was adopted. Neither did any one dissent from the view put forward that s100 was ample for all legitimate cam pa1gn expenses. Further 1t was de- cided that the $100 should come in equal contributions from the two represen- tative candidates. the sum of $50 each being the usual assessment. The same meeting appointed Sanford H. Osborn campaign treasurer. Not long after wards B. B. Banks waited upon Treasurer Osborn and handed over s100 Unless the writer is misinformed, how ever, the money did not come from the pockets of MT. Banks and MT. San ford, the other candidate for represen- tatixe, but came from the Republican State committee or some other source. Mr. Osborn said that he would hold the money to meet such bills or out lays as were incurred for legitimate purposes as described in the corrupt practices act. Here was another rev. olutionary new departure. While the usual abundance of Republican money, judiciously distributed. might have made the party's overthrow less over whelming it would not have saved the day for them. Since the election Treasurer Osborn has disbursed about $2o of the S100 in payment of '1egiti- mate" claims.
 A we'll known Republican of the Gen. tre did some independent campaigning
  ter of the ammunition he used. Cash. bottles of strong waters and cigars are the usual campaign persuaders, hay ing mostly supplanted barrels of flour and such bulky necessaries which were common in the old days. Short ly before election the person referred to drove through Sanfordtown shedding benignant smiles and small tumblers of jelly at the homes of voters. These attentions proved to be intended as a pleasant prelude to an attempt at po- litical proselyting in behalf of a cer- tain candidate When this fact dawn ed on one of the voters thus favored he profanely told the proselyter to get himself hence as all the jelly and all the money he could bring would have no effect Thus did conscience and the corrupt practices act score another triumph.
 In Weston it was different. There the distribution of cash went on almost openly and to an unprecedented extent and no specific pledge was eXacted from those receiving the money. Each was given s and told that if the other side offered more the advance would be met and exceeded. There being no competition, however. the B doubtless brought the desired result in most cases, as the town gave humping Republican majority.