Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1824-07-13
CoMMUNICATIONS.)

The "Act authorising the qualified voters of
this state to vote for or against a convention,
at the next general election" says, That the
electors at the next election of members to
the general assembly, are hereby authorised
and required, when giving in their ballots for
representative, to zor1te at the bottom of the
same, if in favor of convention, the word
" conventions" if against it the words "no
convention"
On this subject, the Illinois Republican says,
We take this occasion to inform the friends
OF the measure that they ought to be careful
to comply with the provision of the lew Let
them have the word Convention" 7uiten on
their tickets for Representatives. 1t is, in our
opinion, Indispensable that it should be Unit
te,l--the law is positive Letnot vote be lost
for want Of attention to this"
Now if the letter of the law is to be obeyed,
the following things will be necessary:
l. The word Z" convention" or The words
"no convention" must be 7critten.
2. They must be written by the yoter zvho Of
tsrs tie ballot.
3. They must be written at tie bottom Oft
baffots for Representations.
4. They must be written at The uery time
7chen the Doter is giusslg u, his ballot far REPRE-
SentatiOes.
Taking the law as it stands, it is very obvi-
Gus that the object Of the uery burned majority
OF the Legislature was to prohibit persons 1vho
can1,of ret1te from voting at all on the question
OF contention ora,0 contention. This must have
been the reason why they were so particular
as to require that the words should be written
by the voter 7cden he giuing Ia his pote for
represeaiatipes-thus enabling the Judges and
clerks OF the election to see that the law IS
strictly complied with.
But 1t seems the convention party are likely
to fall into the pit which they dug for their
opponents. BY law we are permitted to vote
tor representatives with ballots either 7o,itten
or Printed, and we are not required to write
the ballots ourselves. Now the 9TH article OF
the constitution, (Which is not quite so imbo-
tent as this extraordinary law, ordains, that, sit
it shall appear that mvority IF all the citizens
efMe state voting for Representatives have voted
ior convention, the general assembly shall,
at their next session, call convention, to con-
sist OF as many members as there may be in
the general assembly," sc. So that the vote
oil every man who votes for representatives
and does not vote On the convention question,
must, under the constitution, be counted
against convention. Persons who are in. ia
po, IF a convention, and who are unable 10 zprite
will do well not to vote for representatives, for
II they do, theiryotes must inevitably be count
ed against convention. But every man who
IS OPPOSED to a conve'itio" ought by all means to
oofe for representafsOes ana 1t IS advisable, Also
tlat ne should nave the words ".No Conuen-
non written or printed at the bottom OF his
ballot for representatives. The returning Of
hcers should also be careful to make return
:. he number OF ballots received tor repre-
schtatves.
must confess the law alluded to will have
an oppressive operation on those convention
lists who cannot s0'ate, But they must thank
the convention party an tie legislature tor 1t all
Inc antl-conventlonlsts had nothing to do with
1t, but lett the chafd to the care OF us oun pa
rents. 1t is, indeed, a splendid sample OF what
we may expect from them, it we employ them
TO make new constitution: They ind fault
with the constitution, indeed !. Let them look
at TIER 0ssp 7VorSss' and especially at TINS law.