The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-11-23
DENY WHISKEY
WAS EMPLOYED
As VOTE BRIDE
Redding Resents Imputation
That Liquor Tidal Wave
Elected Candidates.
Especial to The Farmer.O

Especial to The Farmer.)
Redding. Nov. 23-This town does
not claim preIeminence in the pos
session of all the civic virtues, being
in that respect probably about up to
the average, but if there was any sim
gle point upon which it flattered itself
it could make creditable showing it
was the cleanliness attending election
practices here during the past few
years.
BY cleanliness is meant freedom
from bribery Of voters. The Old
Guard workers in dubious methods,
the erstwhile Doodle dispensers, agree
in expressing satisfaction over the
change that has come about Conse-
Quently they were especially surprised
and Jared when they read in last
weeks issue of two county papers an
article by local correspondent de-
Glaring in terms of implication very
close to direct assertion that the sue
cessful candidates in the two recent
elections, and more particularly the
one in the special election, had been
hoated to victory on a sea of booze.
It was said that free rum in unlimit-
ed quantities was proffered to beguile
and Improperly influence the electors
and that many weaklings succumbed
to the temptation producing condi-
tons disgraceful to the community.
Prohibition and woman suffrage were
suggested as remedial measures for
this awful state of things.
The Old Guard workers gasped in
credn1ously upon reading this remark.
able illumination and wondered
whence the writer obtained his infor-
nation. Likewise the general public
were divided between conflicting emo
tions Of indignation and mirth. A
roundup of the facts bearing upon the
indictment in the case was promptly
sought and resulted in these disclos-
ures: After the closing of the polls
ON one of the election days seven
empty bottles which had contained
whiskey were found under the Meth
odistc hurch sheds located a few rods
from the town house. Presumably in
dfvidua1s comprised in the local elect
crate had absorbed the contents of
these bottles incidental to the dis
charge Of their franchise duties, a cir
c11mstance BETTING the severe repro
baton OF the moralist. Truly so, but
seven bottles Of whiskey furnish a
small per capita allowance for some
zee men, However, presumably all
the 200 or so did not ,partake and this
brings us to the next stage Of the in
quiryA-what were the outward and
visible effects of the above noted alco-
ho1ic absorption on the part. of those
who did partake as made apparent in
and about thep olling place? The
answer, abundantly testified to, is:
At the first election one case of such
helpless intoxication that the man was
denied access to the polls and at the
second three palpab1e but COMPARE
lively inoffensive cases. Three Of the
offenders may be classed as chronics
in respect to Indulgence tendencies
and consider any sort of q holiday,
secular or religious, inadequateIy OBJ
served unless drowned in drink The
seven ernptied whiskey bottles and the
four cases of Indulgence are the
essential facts on which it based
long TRADE Of 1amentation, community
accusation and exhortations to reform.
Naturally the community thus obju-
gated and held up to the scorn of the
outside world doesn't like it and rep
resentative members of the community
have asked your correspondent to place
thee circumstances in the right per-
spectfve- They say that the miscon-
duct OF a few individuals does not JUS
ttfy the sweeping condemnation con-
veyed by the offensive article; that in
short mountain has been made out
OF a mOlehil1 in the exercise of what
they regard as a spirit of fantastic
sensationalism, rejecting, perhaps,
the soreness of one or more of the de-
feated candidates. They further say,
and therein say, what is unquestion-
ably true, that the managers of either
political party did not employ or con-
nive at the employment of booze,
money or any other corruptive agent
fin the recent political contest; that in
respect to decorum and essential hon.
esty the Redding elections Of this year
would compare favorably with those
occurring in any town in the state and
that only a perversity of mental vision
could cause them to be viewed in any
other light.