The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-06-09
MEN, WONf FEN
 AND THINGS

If Mark Hanna were alive he would | consider himself "piker" in the light of the exposures in Michigan and the way twentieth century presidential groomers pass out the dough" The American people have a right to be shocked at the bold way in which certain persons or interests get behind l "favorite sons'' with bank rolls which permit their agents one by one to round ur delegates in blocks of five" In spite of all the laws prohibiting or limiting the amount of money to be spent by any aspirant for political honors, there never was such spree of spending as was witnessed in the recent primaries in our state elections, and as is now in prog ress for the national offices
 
 I can recall the time when around a ing over the wires that the Ohio voters were "apathetic," which was a euphemsm for saying that the price of votes was too low to make it worth while for the citizens to go to the polls. Other states were in the same fix.
 I remember while living in Johnson City, Tenn, there was a hot contest for the mayoralty, and the suffrage was very evenly divided between the republicans and the democrats. It was a day when there was no beating about the bush in buying votes. It was done openly and stridently, and the trafficking was brisk It was almost in the nature of books on the races
 The hour for the polls to close had arrived, and while sitting in a friends office, in walked his old colored porter. talking in a grumbling way to himself. I said, Whats the matter. Uncle Mose?' And he answered, Its dis way, young marster, I jes can't figure out what's 8 oner become of dis old world, fur things is gitten mighty no count, and you can't depend on nobody" I saw that he was nightly bothered. so I showed sympathy and asked him to tell me who had been imposing on him.
 This was his plaint: Tt was dis way All day long I was negotiating around de polls with de white folks on both sides of de election, case I had white friends who wuz republicans and some who wuz democrats, and as I couldn't vote but once I wanted to be jes as oblging as could. Now, befo' dinner de price was only s1. Dis was de mostest anybody of fered me, but along towards foh o'clock it dun rig to s3, but it want enuff to make poor ole nigger show partiality | among his white folks" Anxious to ger at his point of view, I led him along until his whole story was out
 
 l But let him tell it in his own way, for this is true account, and I am merely transcribing it: Things got mighty ex- citing just around sunset, for it wa. pow'ful close. and one white gen'men said, Uncle Nose, I'll give you s5 to vote this ticket: just vote it and I'll fork over the money I got in line and he close | by my side to see that nobody slipped me anuther one, and I wuz all excited to l git it in de box" Then he stopped, over come with emotion.
 
 | I waited for him to pull himself to- gether, and he continued: Young mar | Ster. what QO you reCkOn ndppeneQ, JeS as I was ready to put her in one of Ie election folks up and says, I challenge his vote.' And does you know why q at white man challenges my vote 2rCase ne lowed I dun moved my residence during dc year, and I clare befo God I a int done nuthn' but moved from downstairs to up- | stairs in de same pertickler building, Dere wuz a heap O talk backwards and | turrud. and dey ruled me oe>.'' 
 ] I was touched with his grief. when he moaned, Dat white man just tux dat 1 five-dollar bill out'en my hand jes as 1 was about to reach for it'' But it was his comment on the whole affair which set me to thinking, for he allowed that Amer ica was no longer place worth living in since a mans right to sell his vote had | been interfered with in such a high handed and outrageous manner He felt | like the constitution had been torn into shreds and the flag trampled in the dust l There may have been some excuse for | the ignorant old darky's lament against the evil times upon which he had fallen. but it seems to me that his grief was a | better thing than is the synicism of our great leaders who think to buy their way Unto office with a slush fund, I have more respect for the negro who innocent 1 ly cried out his shame than I have
  a great war in which our country rose to the finest idealism any people ever at tained, are willing to barter their birth l right for mess of pottage. ! Without committing myself to any can didacy I think it may be of interest to give bit of history for the benefit of those who have not recently read their | Gibbon for then they will better under | stand the allusion of Senator Borah in his | Chicago speech of How the Roman crown once sold for the equivalent of 1 s. 300 0oo," adding, We are not going to sel, the presidency of the United States i for S15o0000. That's too cheap" It was a terrific indictment against the large , use of money to put man in the White | House.
 | The most stupendous of all auctions is tLat described by Gibbon in his De cline and Fall of the Roman Empire | (Vol I. ch. VI. It was nothing less than l the public sale, oh March 2S. A. D., 193, of the Roman empire by the Praetorian Guards They had murdered Pertinax, and that Emperor's father-in-law, Sul- picianus had hopes of succeeding to the blooted throne. He had already begun to use the only effective argument, says 1 iGibbon when the more prudent of the 1 Praetorians, apprehensive that in this private contract they should not obtain just price for so valuable a commod- | ity. ran out upon the ramparts, and with 1 a loud voice proclaimed that the Roman world was to be disposed of to the best bidder by public auction.