People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 December 1895 — The Facts of Politics [ARTICLE]

The Facts of Politics

We think John Sherman’s book is in many respects an unfortunate publication, in oth&r respects perhaps its publication is fortunate. It shows Mr. Sherman to be what many have long thought him, a cold, unsympathetic, selfish and unprincipled man, and he will never again be able to wield the influence, will never again have the power for evil, that he has had in the past. It also brings out the inner facts of American politics, as they could have been brought out in no other way. These facts do not rebound to the honor of American statesmen, but they ougnt to stir up the people to stamp their disapproval upon party methods that make such things possible. For instance, Mr. Sherman pretty broadly charged Gen. Alger with having purchased votes in the national couvention of 1888, votes that rightfully belonged to Sherman. This brings Alger to his feet, and leads him to publish a letter from Senator Sherman’s brother, Gen. W. T. Sherman, written soon after the convention. From Gen. Sherc man’s letter we quote the following:

“ You made a good, allow as rotea, and if you bought some, according to univeraal usage,surely I don’t blame you.” Such words as these from Gen. Sherman certainly means a great deal, and they ought to arrest the attention of every voter in America. Gen. Sherman evidently believed Alger had bought votes, and he regarded it, the purchase of votes in aconvention, as “according to universal usage;” that is, - it was the “universal usage!’ to buy votes, and Gen. Sherman did not blame Gen. Alger for doing it! To buy votes in a convention is to buy the nomination if you can buy enough votes, and to buy the nomination is frequently to buy the office. When we consider that the stake here was the presidency of the United States, men may well pause, and even shudder. Money, not the free suffrage of an independent people, may fill our offices from president down. It does not necessarily follow that Gen. Alger did buy votes, or that he was more corrupt than others, the point is that Gen. Sherman declared it to be the universal usage to do so. Many of our readers, especially our partisan readers, will dismiss this matter with “they all do so,” and think of it no more. To do that is to become a party to the corruption, and to add your influence to the support of it. It is cowardly. These corrupt practices, this party rule must be rebuked, or the republic is doomed.—Progressive Farmer.