Year: 1859

The Use of Money mt Elections
t From the Albany Atlas and Argus.] 30,


Twenty years ago, the use of any consider


able amount Of money to carry an election
was so unusual that it would not only hav'
!, excited general remark, but would hav'
brought disgrace upon the candidateresortint
to such means to secure success. yTh'
, knowledge that a public officer bought himsel
. into power would, in those days, have beer
accepted as concession that his merits die
} not entitle him to the support of the people
The prudent men of a quarter of century
since would have trembled for the success o
!, our system of government, had they behelc


its control given up into the hands of those


who would rather rely for success upon the
use of money than upon the public confidence


in their capacity, fidelity and honesty. But


the evil, once so rare, has gradually grown
until its dimensions have become alarming


Commencing in the populous cities, where


poverty and crime mainly concentrate, it has
extended itself by degrees through the rural


districts, until at the present time it pervades
and corrupts the entire State.


1t is an axiom that familiarity with vice
reconciles US to its contemplation, even as
uncomeliness and deformity lose their
ofensiveness when the eye becomes accus-


toned to them 1t is thus that men of sense
and integrity now regard without surprise a
practice which, twenty years since, would
have startled and alarmed them. Yet it is
impossible to exaggerate the baneful tendency
Of the evil. 1t corrupts and degrades the
masses Of the people, until their minds become
prepared for any dishonorable or even criminal
proposition. 1t converts the ballot, of which
our Republic so justly boasts, from the boon
and badge of a freeman to an article of paltry
traffic. 1t dries up the emotions of patriotism
among the people, and turns universal suffrage
into curse instead of blessing.


| The amount of money now paid out at an
important or sharply contested election is
enormous. Political parties, it is we'll known,
are frequently induced to place candidates
upon their tickets for prominent positions
solely in consideration Of their wealth, and
their willingness to use 1t in the campaign as
means of success. The boast is frequently
made, after the nomination of candidate, of
the amount of money he viii expend to ''carry
the State" and the friendly organs of high
public officers have ere now been known to
speak approvingly of their "princely liberal
ity" during an important canvass. In dis
cussing the chances of success even in a
Presidential campaign, it is not unusual to
hear glowing specuations publicly made as to
the amount Of money that would be used by
a particular candidate to secure doubtful
and necessary State. As though the cor
ruption Of the ballot-box, by the wholesale
purchase of votes, partook of the nature of
munifeence! i Ne. ...


The evil is not confined to any one party
it extends necessarily to all, although the
Democratic party is, perhaps, mainly driven
to it in self-defense, and is, of the two, the
most deeply interested in reform, since it
does not include the same amount of wealth
with the opposing organization-at least, not
an equal number of men disposed to contrib
ute money for political ends. We have,
nevertheless, no desire to claim exemption
from blame for our political friends. Both
parties are censurable, and both are interested
in removing an evil which has become
oppressive and injurious, without yielding any
commensurate advantage to either. 1t is well
known that our annual elections are now a
serious pecuniary b'lrthen to all who take
part or interest in them. Candidates and
their friends, as we'll as those who believe that
the success of their own political principles
will conduce to the prosperity and happiness
of the country, find themselves compelled in
self-defense to squander money upon the most
worthless class of society, and are frequently
under the necessity of buying the support of
their own partizans, who, seeing opponents
purchased, think, with some show of reason,
that compensation is more justly due to the
efforts of friends, and refuse to work or vote
without it.


There are, however, far more important
considerations than the pecuniary convenience
of those who are thus unjustly taxed, which
call for reform in this direction. A repub-
lican government depends for its safety upon
the integrity as we'll as the intelligence of the
masses. Can we expect good citizens from
those who, from the earliest moment they are
entitled to the exercise of the right of freemen,
are induced to yield their convictions of duty
for corrupt considerations? Can we look for
honest rulers amongst those who owe success
to their money, rather than to the good will
and confidence of the people, or to their own
merits? Is there not danger that the man
who will sell his vote, without regard to his
principles, will eventually strike at the free
dom he has thus abused? Is there not risk
that the officer who buys his way to power
may prove corrupt in the discharge of a trust
he has secured only by corruption? If money


is to control our elections, how soon shall we
reject as absurd, in our choice of a candidate,
the question, sis he honest-is he capable
is he faithful?" 1t has always been our boast
that poverty cannot debar true merit from
rising to positions of honor and trust in this
republic To the poor man, then, the use of
money at elections is especially unjust 1t
closes public Offices against every one but the
man of wealth and the most deserving citi-
zens, whose means chance to be limited, shrink
disheartened and disguised from canvass.
The evil cries loudly for reform. The
danger is threatening to the purity and the
peace of the country, and to the success of our
experiment of self-goverrment. Men of all
| parties should unite in demanding such legis-
lation, or such constitutional amendments, if
need be, as will effectually remove this bane
| from the land. 1t is Upas tree, spreading
over the whole State, and poisoning all
beneath it's shade. 1t is useless to lop the
branches-it must be torn up by the roots.
We appeal to the journals and men of all
parties to unite with us in favoring a reform,
and in agitating the subject until the end is
accomplished. Unless they do, our public
trust. will before long be yielded into the
hands of corrupt and faithless men, and every
wealthy citizen will feel that


! "The post of honor is private station"


What are the present legal and constitu.
tional provisions applicable to the subject, and
what remedies in the way of legislation, or by
means of amendment to the Constitution,
promise to aid in the work Of reformation,
will be considered in another article.


Copying the above, the Albany Ecening
Journal says: ..gas .. .7.1


We copy from the Atlas and Aryus a
strong and timely protest against the corrupt
and corrupting use of money in our elections


This great evil is growing and spreading with


fearful rapidity. If, in the abuse Of the


elective franchise, we fall behind the briberies