Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-07-25
TO THE VOTERS OF MADISON
COUNTY.

CITIZENS,
In compliance with the wishes ofma-
ny ofmy friends, / have consented to be-
come candidate for your suifrages to
represent you in the next General As
sembly of this state.
In doing this, ii is duty owe you,
to give you my opinion on few subjects
before the election. Whether my OPT
Mons are expressed to you verbally, or
by means of newspaper, is matter of
no consequence. / take the latter me-
thod, ewing to my hurry in business.
have always considered division of
this county as the greatest evil that could
be inflicted on us, i'll our county capacity.
mean a division line running north and
south. ! consider the public faith ofthe
county pledged to continue the county
limits, SO as to render permanent and Sc
cure, the county seat of justice to those
who have improved the same to the adj
vantage Of the whole county. 1T is the
duty of each member of society TO OBJ
serve good faith towards each other; but,
for the county to violate that faith, once
held out, is corruption, which is not tl,c
province of the people Of Madison coun-
ty. When commissioners are authoriz-
ed by law to locate the county seat of
Justice, and have done it accordingly
and the public have sanctioned for the
term ofseven reight years that location,
| do deem it breach of common honesty
to divide the county, SO as to ruin those
people who have chosen TO live at the
county seat. But, for many other rea-
sons, l know it to be public evil. A
small county, in money matters, is al
ways in state of bankruptcy. There
are almost as many county officers in a
small, as in large county. The same
fees are commonly allowed to the Off
GERS ofsuch county, but the means of pay
ing them are not the same; consequently,
the taxes must be more heavy in small
county, which is an evil that may be
avoided by the county remaining as it is.
A small county IN state politics has not
so much influence as large one, which
is disadvantage of Ito small conse-
quence to the inferior county. On this
subject I might shew many reasons to
influence me against division; but suf-
6ce it to say, do assure you, if honored
with seat in the legislature, will use
my best abilities for the county to re-
main as it is, as to the old county OF Ma
olson. On the north there must neces-
sarily be made new counties. should
suppose there ought to be two or three;
but on the subject Of size and number of
counties on the north of this county, the
legislature must be governed by the cir
cumstances of the county, at the time of
making them.
There has been much said and written
on the defects and imperfections in our
statute laws. There is perhaps some
reason for all this !; but let it be recol-
lected that man or q. ) works are not per-
feet. No reasonable man will expect
that one or two legislatures can make
complete system of statute laws: expe-
rience is necessary to the perfection OF
the same. On this subject, the revisal
Of our present statutes shall be my pri-
mary object, if elected, in all cases not
violating the constitution.
The will of the people ought to be the
supreme law ofthe land. This is self
evident principle in our republican form
of government. Consequently, on all