Will the People Rise Up Against Political Corruption?

New York, 1895

The Democratic Town Committee of Jamaica, which was supposed to represent the Democratic party in the town, has totally collapsed, and it is doubtful if the organization ever gets together again. Its death will not be regretted, and resurrection would entail a calamity.

There were honest Democrats in this organization at the beginning, and had they continued in control, no scandal would have come upon the party, and victories would have been won where defeats were sustained. Gradually these men of principle, or most of them, were crowded to the wall by a corrupt rabble, and since then there has not been a convention of any kind at which delegates' votes have not been openly offered for sale, and almost as openly purchased. The shameful bribery of delegates in the last county convention was but the growth of the evil, emboldened by previous successes. A crime against the purity of elections such as this startled the county, as well it might, for as long as similar methods prevailed, nominations for office could only be obtained by vicious men with no sense of legal or moral obligation, and maladministration only could result from their possession of office.

While these offences by Democrats besmirched the record, Republican politics were not one bit cleaner. The givers of bribes are even worse criminals than the takers of bribes. If there was no one to tempt, no one would fall. The Republican machine in this town corrupted the Democratic machine. After the Democratic brigands had got all of the corruption money that it was possible for them to get out of the Democrats, they made election-eve deals with the Republicans for more money, and supported the Republican ticket. It was a fit union of political thieves. There are Republicans holding office at this time whose election was bought with borrowed money that has never been returned. There is as much rottenness in one party as the other. The death of the Democratic boodle organization does not remove the gang from the field. They will bob up as usual, but the price will hardly be forthcoming any more. When the people read the names of these vultures in print, decent candidates will be scarce, for every citizen will be sure of one of two things: That the nominations were bought, or that the nominations were dictated by Republican politicians for a price.

The respectable voters of the town are between two fires. They can no more ally themselves conscientiously with the Republican party than with the Democratic party. An instance of the total depravity of both sides was shown at the last election. There were Republicans opposing Governor McCormick because he would not bleed money for their enrichment, and there were Democrats opposing County Clerk Sutphin for the same reason.

What are the people going to do about it? There is but one thing they can do, and that is to nominate and elect candidates on a citizens' ticket. Let us have a government by the people for the people, no longer a government by fraud, bribery and force. The people can do it if they but make up their minds to it.

—The Long Island Farmer, Jamaica, NY, Feb. 1, 1895, p. 4.