The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-09-30
The Passing of An Era

The good old DAYS when the boys fried the
fat out Of candidates or others who were In
terested in an election, and did what they pleased
with the resulting lubricant, seem to be passing
away. In New FORK the right Of Governor Sulzer
10 campaign contributions as he saw II Is
being seriously questioned and now new case
is coming to the front in South Carolina. John
T. Grace mayor of Charleston. has filed with
Speaker Clark, of the mouse Of repFese natives
very sensat ional petition, in which he claims
under oath that Richard S. Whaley, member of
congress from the First South Carolina district
which includes Charleston, bought his seat for
the of 100000, and he demands that IT,
after Investigation the claim be found true Mr.
Whaley be expelled from the house
The federal campaign publicity act prohibits
the expenditure of more than $1,000 by can
didate for congress In any campaign, and it re-
quires members of congress to file statements
on oath showing the amounts expended. Mayor
Grace claims that Mr.. Whaley hIed the required
statement reporting his expenditure as less than
five thousand dollars, whereas in fact he
pended very much more. He therefore asserts
that the congressman committed perjury in ad-
diton to violating the publicity act The speaker
referred the petition to the committee on cleo
lions.
The petition recltes that Representative Legare
died on January 81 1918 and that Mr. Whaley at
once announced his candidacy, simultaneously
circulating throughout the district that whoever
entered the race must be prepared to outspend
him" and that this announcement turned the
campaign into one of unprecedented vote selling
OF the | 1850 votes cast in the Democratic pri-
mary. Mr., Whaley received 6,29S and Mayor
Grace asserts that the successful candidate paid
average of about ten dollars each for them.
and that he filed with the clerk Of the house
of representatives 'wilfuly and knowingly false
statements, asserting that he spent b total
amount of only S4.633.10
To this charge Mr., Whaley answers that the
mayor lies. OF course, we in position
to decide as to the truth or falsehood of the
charges, but the point to which wish to call
attention is that the day for such actions on the
part of our public men has passed away. We
| do not mean to say that votes are not still
bought and sold. Unfortunately this will per-
sst long votes have commercial value.
and tina. will be as long as men wish to he elected
to office but the traffic is hidden il is blind
! tiger" trade, and the fate of any public man
! found guilty of it IS sealed. Men who are not
yet to be Classed as old men can remember when
| the purchase of votes was considered as much
an open business the buying OF dry goods
| but when the trade has to he conducted in
secret, 1t shows that the general public sentiment
| in regard to 1t has undergone a marked change.
For the good name OF South Carolln.., of the
Democratic party and Of tho whole South we
hope that the charges will not be sustained bur
/ the fact that they are brought, and that they
will constitute a disgrace to the party, the State
and the section If sustained shows that a better
day has administration News.