The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-24
BARRETT ATTACKS | TRAFFIC IN BALLOTS I Calls on Farmers to Drive
 the Practice Out PURGE ELECTORATE Deliberately States That Vote Sell ing Is Prevalent in the Majori-
 ty of the American States
 Even in Georgia
PURGE ELECTORATE

1 Atlanta, April Zo.-(Specldl.l .l-<Aiiesiiie that vote-buying is frequent evil Tn | America, and declaring that the Farm l ers' union is under obligations to do its best to drive the practice from politics l Charles & Barrett, president of the Farm CTS union. has issued the following let | ter:
 | ITO the Officers and Members of the Farmers Union:
 During the past few months papers in America have teemed with accounts or l the vote-buyng and selling in Adams county, Ohio. The country affects to have been scandalized as it has not been in years.
 Traffic in the franchise is not peculiar to Adams county, or to Ohio, or to any other American state. At the risk of being termed a sensationalist, l assert deliberately that it is prevalent in a great many counties in the majority perhaps all-of the American states.
 q choose this particular time for draw ing the attention of the Farmers union to this evil, because it is an off year in politics. If I waited for an election year, with politics and partisanship raging, l 
 would be accused of unduly dabbling in politics. As it is, that charge cannot be sustained.
 "The Farmers union is assumed to be of great moral force. That is why its members should concern themselves with scouraging bribery from American poli- tics.
 Our organization is also great edu- cational movement. We shall not full fill the first qualification of that mis- sion until we purify the ballot. As long as our men and boys see vote-buying and selling going on all the education we preach into one ear will go out of the other.
 q make these statements regarding barter and sale of votes with the great est deiberation. I know whereof speak My citizenship has been held, mainly. in three counties of Georgia. In the coun- ty in which I was born, a small multitude of white men were known to be willing to sell their votes. In the county where I spent b years of my life similar percentage of white voters were pur- chaseable. In the county in which have now resided for about three years in the neighborhood of 200 white votes are regu- larly on the market.
 Even in Georgia
 Conditions are no worse in these than in other Georgia counties. They are no worse than in many counties through out the country. Human nature does not vary with geoghaphy, nor is it altered by partisanship.
 Around large number of courthouses a or one or two men, who know just about how many white voters in the county will sell their votes.
 You will also find in a large number of counties in America men you must fix before they will help you in an election. I do not mean to say that these men will brazenly accept money for their influence.
 That would be too crude. You go to such individuals and say. for instance: Tom. I know you'd knock me down If I offered to buy your influence, and I know you're for me anyway But you've got to get away from your business to work for me. That means I ought to pay you for your time, with little more for expenses, and a little more to treat the boys etc.
 Get many politicians in a really candid mood and they will tell you they owe their election to this type of men. They may deplore the system, but they want of Is to bow to the god of things as they are.
 This condition cuts two ways.
 Cuts Two Ways
 "It debauches the voter and the elec- torate and it secures, frequently, an in different public servant.
 "The man indebted to such a method for biC election ba nj for he stituents he bought, and an indifference to those who let such things exist.
 Naturally. he has no incentive to ex- ert himself to any extent and the public service is the sufferer
 'I need not dwell on the viciousness of dealing in votes as in merchandise It pollutes popular government at its source.
 Day by day we get government closer to the people. Soon we will elect all of- ficials by popular vote-United States sen- ators. judges, all of them from the high est to the lowest
 we want to purge the electorate in ad- vance of that day, that we shall have the ablest officials, and the cleanest, most in- corrouptible government.
 "It can be done, too. Twelve men fin any community infested with traffic in the suffrage can put period to the prac- tice. with the proper courage and proper vigilance.
 Members of the Farmers union can engage in no more patriotic or service able labor. They are false to their obiga- tion to the order unless they do so in the first place. And in the second, we can no more effectually apologize for the farmer who trades his vote for money than for the veriest city repeater or 'bum,' marshaled to the polls at the command of the boss or his hench-