Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-09-09

win the stakes, but merely prevent The other from
winning until the next DEAL will the act be infamous
der the law, or will the penalty attach:
D. Docs wlnnng or not make any moral difference in
the turpitude Of The act:
Thus the people Of Virginia, since l743, have
TONED and incucaed honor and fair play, in the
ordinary games OF amusement and chance Nor will
they abandon t!rse high and noble traits Of character
lfnr which ilny much ds;inguished) when pro-
founder interests At stake Indeed, that lave 4" tnr
play which find i'm planted in every human heart.
ai! that universal rprg to font yay f inch he
pes pile al the Tinted States justly characterised d,
VIII yer Pr" ct ouI happy institutions from the dang
erS q! ihnsr hgh political combinations and frauds. which
moi nnileTrnY "vrrtrrn the governments Of less vr-
tlI"Is and in liiyrnt n.ople.
Alter the people If The L. States .u!Ilrd The cards in
the great contest between john Adams aad rhias JET
frrSon, and threw up jefferson ard Burr for President
aud Vice President, with tqnai number # votes so
that The House of Representatives had {" decide WHICH
should be the President, and Burr had the nn'rns am;
t"n. al that stage Of the game apt to dr'raud
Mr. Jefferson aud the people out Of the election as they
lnlrndtd 1t, nsnmuch that there thirty six ballot.
ings before Mr. Jefferson rrcled the Constitution
was amended by the ncclanann Of honest men every
where TO prevent similar frauds.
AT the time john G. Adams cccrdhy the House
OF Representatives it very generally believed, that
majority Of the People of Virginia in favor OF hun
General Jackson But the Giro us,ances connected
with that election aud the subsequent Of Mr. A,
gave such strong evidence Of the " trO pucE game,
that every manly and honorable feeling was appealed to
and aroused in resistance More signal victories were
never gained by virluous and intelligent people over
political cozeneIs than gained MrsSrs Adams
and Clay in the two elections OF Gen. jackson.
lave we hot had warnings. enoug h 10 convince us,
that gh,cned and free people 1rH act with honesty
fair play and good faith? | think havc.-But still
we denounced, nny, ruenaced. with more and new
schemes of fraud upon popular lights and scnlim"nls-
The scheme Of imposlure about to be practSed, Is
not less and unfair, than the fraud of Barr
and the coz~ning Of Nsssrs. Adams and Clay; and
may br pcruicious in lis Consequences, inasmuch
1t seeks to corrupt the foundations OF our institutions
their very basisand to inculcale in the minds OF our
citizens honest and fair plan OF crcumvcnlnn, de-
cel aud fraud dGSmcd Infamous by lhe laws of the land,
when applied TO games Of chance and amusement
1t is the scheme of running ttrO men on one frEr az
one CANDIDATE: against ONE MAN" who is i CAN.
UlDATE, aud admitted on all hands TO he popular
than either! ifno more than boh! This is done with
the express view of stealing power from the many AMI
investing it i'm the few; directly against the spirit OF our
Constitution, and the letter Of the law. which provides,
that the greatest plurality Of votes given shall make
election Of Electors And did any honest man IN Nr-
GINA, before suppose that the college OF Electors
were together and gamble between several per-
in giving their votes for the Presidency: no! Can
the manly spirit Of Eirgiuians stand this Where The
clyarous Anglo Saxon blood; Are there not gallant
enough in Virginia, to the fair escuchcon OF
their v.vuous ss from this stain SO soon, this blot So
foul
Whether lle plurality Of voters shall be drirauIrd
o(ther rights by defect in the guards thrown round
them by the existing law, not, the attempt to do by
persons contemplate neither in numbers inlellI-
gene, will authorize nay, demand Of the Legislature an
immediate change III it, more ctfecnaily tic down
the Eecto redeem his pledges, and give his vote ac-
cording TO The Instructions OF the People.
We have provided oath upon oath, and penalty upon
penalty Tor all the officers of the Common wealth. from
The Governor down TO the Constable, as sanctions for
The faithful discharge OF their duties; but for the high
of Electors TO give the votes Of Virginia for PrrSI.
dent and Vice President, have nothing but the honor
Of The men, and a il seems is 10 be tanshrd by trick
device deemed tRtamoaS in games o ciilnce II
fraud deserved TO be provided against with strong
laws The perpetrators to be held mp to an indignant
people, and the lashrS of guilty conscience. Il beg par
don; Conscience think they say has nothing TO do with
the sclisne0 perhaps now is the time.
Let us see for moment how this game Of t1rO pluck
one or The trick Of The White U"rriSon union r"nd tttd
will work when tested in the familiar elections
We i'll suppose the Van Buren, men OF lienrco county
shall try lis effects Spring. The lower end Of the
county takes up Mr. Randolph the upper end Mr.. Cot
irrland BY way Of cunsunmaUng more perfect uni0n,
the middle takes up Mr.. Hyde. beg these gentlemen
not SUPPOSE that believe them capable OF so Wing
isl trick II is agreed all hands, that these TIRE
gentlemen shall form cGnddnc-and they each bring
10 the polls all their friends vote for the three one;
aud if elected they conide to the sheriff and Ills dePu-
ties, to determine which shall be returned.
You may suppose the law prohibits such Juggling
but if the Sheriff will lend his aid like the Wing electors,
it can be done Just we'll and would be entitled to quite
as much respect for honesty and fair play The General
Election Law requires the sheriff TO appoint writer's DC,
and that :. he shall deliver poll book to each writer,
who by ruling lines thereon, having made as many CO.
luns as there shall be cnudidcS, shall enter the name
Of each cnnddatc in distant column at the head thereof,
and under his name, in the same coann The name OF
every elrctur, who shall vote for that candidate, Scand
the candid"tes appearing to hare tie creates! ""0'OT
of rstes bg Sach pgH shalt DC considered elersd'
The pDll.book would stand as follows:
Poll for the election cfn Delegate FIR Henrico county,