Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-02-02
4 CRIME AGAINST THE PUBLIC.

The recent charge Of wholesale vote
buying in Savannah. following upon
the exposure Of wide spread corruption
of this character in certain agricui-I
turaI counties Of Ohio and Illinois, has
attracted attention anew to this seri-
GUS and apparently spreading crime
against the public That it is an evil
of greater magnitude than has been
generally believed there is grave reas-
on to fear. The disfranchisement Of
. the greater number Of the negroes in
the South has materially reduced its
practice in this section, but it is I'M
fortunately true that here, as else
where. there are many of the lower
grade of whites who are apt to value
their franchise in dollars and be will
T ling to sell TO the highest bidder
Judge Charlton, of the Chatham ST.
|perior Court, delivered a strong charge
on this especial crime the other day.
His Characterization of the seriousness
+ of the ofense Of vote selling is we'll
worthy Of a careful reading by all.
Anything that arouses righteous indig-
nation against this evil is to be com
mended and Judge Charlron's singing
utterances ought to whip up some
|consciences that may have become
scared by a too close intimacy with
this practice. Said he:
When individual rights are assailed
by the criminally inclined, we may
safely count upon the person wronged
TO institute prosecutions. a crime
which is directed against the public
frequently enjoys immunity because
of the reluctance upon the part of in
diyidual citizens TO take upon them
selves the burden and annoyance OF
prosecuting the criminal in the courts.
This duty, where the acts are those
affecting the integrity of our institI-
lions, is imposed upon YOU I might
speak to you for hours on the subject
of such an evil without exhausting the
righteous indignation which comes %
every man who loves his state al the
mere suggestion Of its prevalence.
/ Suffice it TO say that there is scarcely
crime on the statute book more in
nately serious 1t undeTmines the very
foundations of our theory of govern
ment; it pollutes the headwaters Of
public obligation at the very source.
That the vote of any member OF this
jury, for instance representing as YOU
do all that is best in our citizenship.
should be cancelled by a ballot bought
and Sold is a thing intolerable The
buyer and seller OF votes holds to the
body polite the same relation in time
/ of peace which the traitor does IN
time of war. He betTays the trust com
mitted to him Even the barbarians
who bought their way into Rome had
/ the decency to smother the barterer
with their shields as they passed
through the gates. Many crimes spring
from temper and passion, or poverty
or temptation. This particular crime
is founded on the sordid greed which
invites comment.
You cannot be swayed by public
clamor and should not be Influenced
by rumor If the evil does not exist
here, let it be known, that the good
name of this community may not suffer
from the imputation of entertaining
such conduct If it does exist stamp It
out The recent developments in a
Western town have filled all of US with
a sentiment of infinite disgust. Such a
tendency as there developed must not
be allowed TO find growth here. We
represent condition OF public life in
which there is no place for corruption
Our ideals are too noble to suffer the
I contamination of such influences. The
higher the ideals the greater the re-
/ responsibility: the greater the respon-
sibility, the more urgent the duty