The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1911-01-19
Nearly Half the Electors
DISTINGUISHED For Five
Years and Fined Ac-
,.Cording to Amount
of Bride Taken.
By JAMES A. EDCER TON.

MeH III Tue county. he mas expressed
the opinion that two-thirds Of them
nave been guilty of selling their votes
at one time or another. This is about
the most staggering revelation of cor
Fuption yet made.
Lest any pharisaical finger of scorn
tbe pointed at Adams county, however.
1T may be as we'll to state that the diff
ference between her and certain other
countes-I was about to say all other
counties that she has repented and
is trying to cleanse herself. In that
Ear she has all the best Of the COMPARE
son and is entitled to praise. She is
worthy Of additional commentator for
the reason that she is setting a whole
some example to the nation.
Thirty Years Political Debauchery.
The testimony shows that the buy
ing and selling of votes has been 60
ing on in this Ohio county for more
than thirty years. One man said there
have not been more than three or four
honest elections in all that time. Po-
!l1tical committees, candidates, election
officials and practically all in authority
were implicated. The drain on candi-
dates was so heavy that several spent
more to be elected than their entire
salary. A few were financially ruined
10y running for Office. Under this
regime office seekers became scarce.
Men were not less anxious for the
plums, but the price was too high. It
got to be so that men had to be draft
, ed to go on the ticket.
The corruption started in a small
way, but the voters themselves were
$50 eager to sell their portion of SOW
ereignty that the shameful habit be-
came fixed. Election day came to be
regarded like Christmas a season
of gifts. At first the bargain and sale
were secret, the negotiations usually
!belng carried Oh in back lot at mid
night After a time it grew more
open, and men boosted of the amounts
they received One old gentleman
mounted a box in front of the court
house and auctioned off his vote to
the highest bidder, and, though officers
OF the law were standing by, nothing
was done about it.
Both parties We're concerned in the
traffic, and this gave not a few Of the
voters Il chance to work both sides of
the street. One old chap testified that
he had got $40 from the Democrats,
an additional $40 from the Repub-
l1cans and wound up the day by work
ing the Republican candidate for sher-
III Tor $3. He did not say which way
he voted, but possibly eased his con-
science, if he had any left, by split
ting his ticket
Vote Buyers Cautious.
:. The vote buyers usually made sure.
however, that they were not fooled by
these double barreled vote sellers. To
do this an election judge had to be a
confederate. By shaking each ticket
open the judge could see which way
1t was marked and SO report by
scratching his ear or by some other
sign. Another method of identifica-
ton was to have each bought voter
mark his ballot in peculiar way, a
different mark being arranged for
each man. Sometimes the marking
would be for Prohibition or Social
list candidate for some unimportant
office. If a ballot was found with
this peculiar marking the voter would
be paid. The bidding was often fast
and furious. One man. Uncle Fred
die Book, went back and forth be-
tween the Republicans and Democrats
until his price was raised from $40 to
:s25. -
Adams ic a tu hy1f
was not always the excuse for vote
selling. One of the culprits is worth
$4,000. Others are ministers Of the
gospel, lawyers and doctors. Often a
higher price would be given a man of
Influence on the theory that he could
swing other votes with his own. Nor
was the traffic among foreigners.
There are very few foreigners in the
county. The men are nearly all Of
old American stock. Nor are there
any large towns to spread corruption.'
Farming is almost the sole industry.
Adams is one of the Ohio river coun-
Ties that have been nearly stationary
in population for several decades. 1t
has but one railroad, which is many
miles from the county seat. The hey
day Of it's prosperity was before the
advent of steam railroads, when the
river was the chief means of trans
.poTtation. One of the big crops is to-
! baeco. Another seems to be farming
out votes. Z Most Of the county is billy,
and the denizens of these sections are
5 called "Hill Billies" or "Hillikens."
Adams is the next county west of
Scioto, in which the city Of Ports
mouth is located. Seiote and. several
adjoining counties are said to be al