The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1916-12-29

into the party treasury. 1t would be
better to have no limitation on the
amount others may contribute. The
candidate who is indebted to others for
the major part of his campaign expenses
becomes the slave Of others if elected.
His first allegiance will not be to the
public which elects him but to the private
individuals who make his election pos
sible
just as there is no Limitation uron the
amount of money treasurers may handle
so there is practically no limitation
upon its disbursement. They may APP
point sub treasurers in every election
district, and these sub treasurers NAV
and do pay out money with the utmost
freedom and upon the boldest pretense
of service The owner of an automr-
bile, the use of which at $500 would
be excessive, receives $50 no, it being
thoroughly understood but uever eX-
pressed in terms that the vote of the
owner and the votes of his family GO
with the machine. This is anewfangl-
ed species of property vote The men
whose services on the farm are well
compensated at ST. so day, finds him
self the recipient of $500 for the per-
| Torrance of a public duty. being en-
ployed ostensibly as watcher, messenger
or in some other unnecessary way.
The calculating commercial voter sits
on a fence within hundred feet or so
of the polls until the hour of closing
| the election approaches when he slowly
moves toward the polling place, after
| first making satisfactory arrangements
for his lost days work with that party
at the polls, which is :aost appreciative
| of his resent from the fence and
| Journey to the b?llnt box.
| In one town in Prince Georges
| County at the last election, two bust
| ness men within one hundred yards of
| the polls demanded $500 apiece before
they would vote their own party ticket.
| They would probably deny having sold
| their votes, but on the other hand
would not perform their public duty or
| agree to do so unless paid. They
might be excused as being too old to
know better, but more regretable
thing was that two young men just re
turned from tour of service with the
militia on the Rio Grande, did exactly
the same. A law capable of such evas-
ion is worse than no law at all
lean not in the course of these arti-
Giles deal with all the defects of our
corrupt practices act or with all phases
of corruption do not desire to con-
yey the impression that corruption is
more prevalent today than it was, let
US say, twenty-five years ago, except
that the election of 1896 familiarzed
certain portion of our population with
the idea that it was entirely legitimate
for man to be paid for voting his own
party ticket, and that the man recelv-
ing money therefore was SO much to
the good. When We recall the old
DAYS before the Australian ballot came
into being, when the recipient of money
held the ballot handed him above his
shoulder as he approached the ballot
booth so that the brbe giver could see
that he was getting his moneys worth,
we are bound to believe conditions to-
day, when the ballot is practically,
secret, are greatly improved. There
are, nevertheless long stops forward to
be taken and they will not be well
taken until the community wakes up to
the gravity of the present situation.
Some of the palllatves l shall discuss
shortly but defer for the present treat
ment of constitutional remedies.
JACKSON H. RALST TON,
EVANSVILLE, Nd.