Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1819-06-05

of sending them to the seat Of govern
ment, Is productive of nc benefit.
Let US suppose the plan of your cor
respondent carried into operation. Let
us suppose that men are found patriotic
enough to make journey to the seat of
government, at their own expense, in
order to enjoy the privilege of deciding
who shall be the choice of their fellow
citizens. Let US suppose, also, that some
unprincipled candidate, by dint of man
agement, treating, or bribery, obtains the
nomination. Were these things to hap
pen, what would be the consequence? |
answer, that this unprincipled candidate
zvouka be elected. 1t is true, as your
correspondent says, that the electors
would not be bound to vote for the can
didatc. If the means by which the nomi-
nation was obtained should become pub
lie, your correspondent and a thousand
other well meaning men, would oppose
it. But believe me, sir, their opposition
would be entirely unavailing. They
would be denounced for opposing the
=" regular nomination )" and after few
Intellectual efforts to prevent the success
of unworthy caucus candidates, all OPP
position to them would be abandoned as
idle and vain. Thus would that noble
prerogatiye of freemen, the elective
franchise, be Frustrated at the feet of a
few artful and designing men. In all
countries there is class of men whose
sole aim is to be on the strongest side.
These people consider it the greatest
misfortune in the world to 90 lose their
voteS - that is, to give their votes for an
unsuccessful candidate. While the Bri-
fish mode of election was in force in this
state, these people would never vote till
the afternoon of the last day of election,
when it was their practice to ascertain
which candidate had the highest number
of votes, and to throw their own weight
into the descending scale. BY such
means they generally avoided the loss
Of their vote8. But the mode of cleo
ton has been, changed; and these men
cannot now always determine which is
the strongest side. Introduce caucus
nomination, and they will still be able to
&aUe their votes. They will always vote
agreeably to the dictates of the caucus.
know that such men as have described
are comparatively few in number; but
they are still so numerous as to be able
to turn the scale.
In the eastern states, the existence oil
political parties was an excuse for the
practice of caucus nomination; but
have witnessed so many evils flowing
from that practice, that | wish never to
see it introduced where the same reasons
do not exist to justify it.
But as it appears to be the opinion of
many, that unless candidates are nomi-
mated, either by themselves or others,
no election will take place, and the state
will not have a representative in con-
gress, | beg leave to suggest the pro-
pricty of adopting hotutarnominatiom, or
or nomination by the people. My plan is
this :--Letthe people ofthe several coun-
ties, townships, or villages, meet when
they please, and zohere they please, and
nominate 7vhom they please. If they ali
fix upon the same candidate, it will be
proof that he is the choice of the people !;
but if different meetings nominate diff
ferent candidates, the question will
remain to be decided, where alone it
ought to be decided---at the POLLS.
A REPUBLICAN.