Buying Voters
April 6, 1895
Summary
Votes for a primary election in Henrico County, Virginia, are publicly being sold without challenges to the lawfulness of the act.
Transcription
It has been alleged that the colored vote was purchaseable, and that principle formed no part in the transaction so far as latter-day politics its concerned.
We have repeatedly maintained that the corrupt practices which have obtained among the degraded portion of our population was due to the white men.
A writer in the Richmond, Va. Daily Times of March 30th says:
“Perhaps the most noticeable feature of the primary election in Henrico county Thursday was the open and unstinted use of money by friends of the different candidates.
The purchase of votes to place at most of the precincts, or at least it was clearly understood among the bystanders that that such was the case, but at Hungary precinct was the most startling instance. At this precinct votes were purchased with the most utter and open disregard of appearances. Voters were plied with offers from friends of opposing candidates, and, when finally won by the largest offer of ready cash, were marched to the polls, their tickets handed them, and their votes cast without even an examination of their ballots. One block of four was publicly proclaimed to have been bought for $42, and this without one word of denial from the voters themselves, who were in easy hearing of all comments upon the purchase.
One man, who, it was publicly announced, had been holding his vote at $25 rapidly approached the precinct and when asked by a dozen inquirers in loud tones how much he was to get for his vote, replied with a laugh, it was none of their business. He was seized upon by a canvasser, marched straight to the poll window, his ticket was handed him, and, without looking at it, he passed it to the judge. As soon as the ballot was received, he turned on his heel and quickly retraced his steps down the road, replying to a number of loud inquiries as to the price he received that they needn’t bother about him, he knew his business.
Bystanders and officers of election alike expressed their disgust and condemnation of this shockingly demoralized state of affairs, and it was openly proposed to employ an auctioneer to sell a number of tardy voters to the highest bidder.”
What have the Negro-haters to say of this?
Is not “Blocks of Five” Dudley outdone. Continued wrong-doing must react upon the people practicing it. This is the Democratic primary, in which no colored man is allowed to vote.
The demoralizing condition of affairs is but the logical outcome of the defrauding of colored men.
Crime will operate upon the white man, when it finds there are no Negroes upon whim to practice.
But another writer corroborates the demoralizing condition of affairs. He says:
“The statement in your issue of March 30th as to the open bribery practiced at Hungary precinct during the recent primary but supplements and confirms reports of such bribery and buying votes at Shoemaker’s precinct. The writer of this heard it in the air and talked about as a matter of fact all around the polls when he was there to cast his vote. One instance was cited by a reliable gentleman, who had denounced a shameless hawker of his vote, when he was trying to get an advanced on the four and half dollars already offered for it.
To say nothing of the morality of honesty of such doings, I want to ask as a party man, how far nominations thus brought may command our support at the polls? It is a question with some whether such corruption does not vitiate the primary and absolve the honest voter from support of its nominees, especially in cases where other and good candidates for election may offer. This is a practical question with a voter who has always voted the straight Democratic ticket, but is disposed to denounce a requirement to vote for a dishonest or incompetent candidate.”
The solution of this question is the return to the bed-rock principles of a pure government and accord to all men equal rights before the law. There cannot be any caste in a free country which endangers the foundation of the republic itself.
We have repeatedly maintained that the corrupt practices which have obtained among the degraded portion of our population was due to the white men.
A writer in the Richmond, Va. Daily Times of March 30th says:
“Perhaps the most noticeable feature of the primary election in Henrico county Thursday was the open and unstinted use of money by friends of the different candidates.
The purchase of votes to place at most of the precincts, or at least it was clearly understood among the bystanders that that such was the case, but at Hungary precinct was the most startling instance. At this precinct votes were purchased with the most utter and open disregard of appearances. Voters were plied with offers from friends of opposing candidates, and, when finally won by the largest offer of ready cash, were marched to the polls, their tickets handed them, and their votes cast without even an examination of their ballots. One block of four was publicly proclaimed to have been bought for $42, and this without one word of denial from the voters themselves, who were in easy hearing of all comments upon the purchase.
One man, who, it was publicly announced, had been holding his vote at $25 rapidly approached the precinct and when asked by a dozen inquirers in loud tones how much he was to get for his vote, replied with a laugh, it was none of their business. He was seized upon by a canvasser, marched straight to the poll window, his ticket was handed him, and, without looking at it, he passed it to the judge. As soon as the ballot was received, he turned on his heel and quickly retraced his steps down the road, replying to a number of loud inquiries as to the price he received that they needn’t bother about him, he knew his business.
Bystanders and officers of election alike expressed their disgust and condemnation of this shockingly demoralized state of affairs, and it was openly proposed to employ an auctioneer to sell a number of tardy voters to the highest bidder.”
What have the Negro-haters to say of this?
Is not “Blocks of Five” Dudley outdone. Continued wrong-doing must react upon the people practicing it. This is the Democratic primary, in which no colored man is allowed to vote.
The demoralizing condition of affairs is but the logical outcome of the defrauding of colored men.
Crime will operate upon the white man, when it finds there are no Negroes upon whim to practice.
But another writer corroborates the demoralizing condition of affairs. He says:
“The statement in your issue of March 30th as to the open bribery practiced at Hungary precinct during the recent primary but supplements and confirms reports of such bribery and buying votes at Shoemaker’s precinct. The writer of this heard it in the air and talked about as a matter of fact all around the polls when he was there to cast his vote. One instance was cited by a reliable gentleman, who had denounced a shameless hawker of his vote, when he was trying to get an advanced on the four and half dollars already offered for it.
To say nothing of the morality of honesty of such doings, I want to ask as a party man, how far nominations thus brought may command our support at the polls? It is a question with some whether such corruption does not vitiate the primary and absolve the honest voter from support of its nominees, especially in cases where other and good candidates for election may offer. This is a practical question with a voter who has always voted the straight Democratic ticket, but is disposed to denounce a requirement to vote for a dishonest or incompetent candidate.”
The solution of this question is the return to the bed-rock principles of a pure government and accord to all men equal rights before the law. There cannot be any caste in a free country which endangers the foundation of the republic itself.
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Upper Left Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Cord Fox
Citation
“Buying Voters,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed December 7, 2025, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/1386.