Bill Dedman Quotes

Honest Graft

The T. and P. folks are working hard on their bill. … They offered one M. C. one thousand dollars cash down, five thousand when the Bill passed and ten thousand of the bonds when they got them, if he would vote for the Bill.

Our form of democracy is bribery, on the highest scale.

There are seats in the Senate for sale.

Rarely do political contributions lead to direct quid pro quo transactions - donations for votes - and those that cross this line normally get caught.

We've seen a lot of dirty politics in Ireland.

I just received the following wire from my generous Daddy; Dear Jack, Don't buy a single vote more than is necessary. I'll be damned if I'm going to pay for a landslide.

People in Washington do things that they shouldn’t do because they owe somebody.

If fifty dollars will purchase the vote of one Supervisor, the votes of how many supervisors will three hundred and fifty dollars purchase?

The abuse of buying and selling votes crept in and money began to play an important part in determining elections.

This [political fundraising] is a very sophisticated system … This is a legalized bribery system where no one has to say anything. I don’t have to say what I want—you [the politician] know what I want.

Our supple tribes repress their patriot throats, And ask no questions but the price of votes..

I would never, ever trade any campaign donation - that's absurd - for some type of favor to anyone.

Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods.

What people fail to appreciate is that the currency of corruption in elective office is, not money, but votes.

It is true that power corrupts. The hope at the polling stations and the actions of the elected representatives, unfortunately, often turn to be opposite. The power of ballot turns into the power of wallet. Some law-makers become law-breakers.

President Johnson had a habit of throwing dollars at a question and the question would disappear.

The kind of corruption the media talk about, the kind the Supreme Court was concerned about, involves the putative sale of votes in exchange for campaign contributions.

I always assumed that everyone knew no country would ever be awarded a World Cup without pricey gifts exchanging hands under the tables.

Farmers who are legislators are the easiest to buy and seduce.

I have been around long enough to know that when large amounts of money are donated to politicians, something besides good government is expected in return.

I have heard in highest places the shameless doctrine avowed by men grown old in public office that the true way by which power should be gained in the Republic is to bribe the people with the offices created for their service.

... he [Thomas E. Dewey] is a political streetwalker accosting men with "come home with me dear.

For every corporation convicted of bribery there are thousands of more who have had their bribes made legal by the campaign finance law.

Intimidation and bribery marked some of the states' selection of senators. Nine bribery cases were brought before the Senate between 1866 and 1906. In addition, forty-five deadlocks occurred in twenty states between 1891 and 1905, resulting in numerous delays in seating senators. In 1899, problems in electing a senator in Delaware were so acute that the state legislature did not send a senator to Washington for four years.