Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1839-01-12
From the Madisoni
PROHIBITION OF FEDERAL INTERf In
ENCE IN POPULAR ELECTIONS.

OF FEDERAL INTERFER-
ENCE IN POPULAR ELECTIONS.
MANY thanks are due to Mr.. CRrrrESDEN, OF
Nv for coming forward with a bill to prevent
the officers Of the Federal Government from IN
terferinR in popular elections Such bill Is cal
culated to promote more than any DINER, inc I'M
portant Republican measure OF di"nution OF
Executive patronage. Since public offices are
ted with bra ling parsizaas, selectes IN most
cases. mere for their brutality and venality than
their in teprity of character or mental quahnca-
tions. and Who in consideration OF their breao,
servo their party first before their country, DC
comes q mattsr Of tho greatest momont 10, INC
statesman, to consider we'll whether tho abuses
arising in consequence are not saPP'ng ''e 'ou"-
5.,;ons of oublic liberty. We have seen the pa
tronape of the Federal Government orough' o.
rectly into conflict with the freedom OF elections
+-we have seen a Cabinet officer pointing OUT
"a ndidAtes for q whole eonstliuency-ws naHs
go, collectors Of the Customs leaving their du-
ties and going about harrangung the PeoP'e-"e
have seen receivers and POssmasters ou"y"g
electors and brow beating votcrs-wo see some
.educed by official patronage, and others intmda-
ted bv throats Of official vsngeance-'n nne, We
have seen these executive officers like the inc'ors
who infested Italy under the Roman Sub !ea-
sury system, every whore managing c""cussl"s'
dict ting, getting up mock meetings, manu'ae.u
ring public opinion Pamng OH resolutions "no
addre sses, bullying, brow beating, seouc'ng' 'no
,ening, and bringing all the means and aPPna"'
cos thew can devise, their party furnish INTO
conf1ic, with elective right. Their efforts are 10
be d.nrocat tod because they are mover disintefes-
tod Thew are unfit advisers Of the people, be-
cause thew labor for their Offices and bread, anu
not for tho country. 1t is altogether antrhe-
mblicau. and tho same selfish motives when IN
duc.. an officer to electioneer, may also induce
him to plumber the people or prostitute III. ONCE
whenever opportunity temPts ambition II"
| ,oa;nst GOOD sense-aganst experience, against
liberty to tolerate it, 1t is not permitted I'm ON
er countries,' to which our President refers US
for MANY eminent examples on another Pont, "no
! in England the statute forbids tho onicc's u ''o
crown meddling with elections under heavy pen
.,,;es Ia our Executive his friends, more te-
| n,c;ou. of his patronage and power than the En-
oli.h crown, that he they should not perm" inc
| people to Do thus free!
A this Is one of our cardinal measures OF Ro-
publican reform, we shall recur again TO tho SUD
;ec, Meantime, the following is a copy OF Mr.
ICs;,,onden,. Rili. introduced by him, in Senate,
Dece rnber 81, and referred to the C'mm"'eo Oh
the Judiciary:
~ -n-vExr THE INTERFERENCE OF CERTAIN Ed
ERAL OFFICERS IN ELECTIONS.
To the end that the great powers gwen 20 IN. VI
! ficers of the Federal Government, and otner
/ persons employe ed in its service, may not De
! used tor the Influencing VI 0icCAonHS ""'0@'
ought to be free and incorrupt-
Be il enacted BY the Senate and House Of Re-
presentatires of the United States Of America, ."
Coneress assembled, That from and after tho hrss
day Of April, in tho year ono thousand eight nun
bred and thirty nino, no marshal or oePuty '"n'
shall no postmaster or deputy postmaster no re-
ceiyer or register of land office, or any OF tneir
deputies or clerks, no surveyor genera .. u. pun
lie lands, or any Of his deputies or assistants, no
collector. surveyor naval officer, weigher. qua
ger appraiser, or other officer or person ~ha'so'
ever concerned or employed in the charging, COL
iectng levying, or managing the customs, or any
branch or part thereof, no engineer, omcer' W
AGENT employed or concerned IN the execution o.
the public works. shall, BY word. message, or VIII
,;ng' or in any other manner whatsoever, cndea-
vor to persuade anv elcctor to give. or dissuaoe
INV alector from giving, his vote for the choice Of
,nv ner,on TO be elector of President and Vice
President Of these United States, or for the
choice Of any person to be Senator or hePre.
sentative in the Congress OF tho said United
States, or for the choice Of any person to be Gov
srnor or Lieutenant Governor OF any o'A'e' or o.
anv person to be a representative or member IN
tho Legislative Department of any State OF this
IIniou or for tho choice Of any person to serve IN
.nv public Office established by the law OF any Of
"a id States. nor shall any such officer or person
io,ermsddle in any g the elections ABOVE men
toned. or use any means with intent to influence
q, control the same, otherwise than by giving hi
} own vote; and every person offending therein
.ball forfeit tho sum of fve hundred dollars; one
mo;e,v thereof to the informer, and the othe
n,o;ety 10 the United States aforesaid, to be re
} covered, with costs Of suit, by any person tina
.ha sue for the same, by action of debt, bill, o.
int in anv of the district circuit courts oil thu
United States; and every person convicted on an,
snch suit. of the said offence shall thereby become
disabled and incapable Of ever bearing or e1ecu
,;nc anv Office or place of trust whatsoever unde
} the said United States.
INSULT TO THE SrArE.-Mr. Allen, OF the OBJ
Senate, presented, on Monday last, q Pet'"o'
from some Loco Foco citizens OF R,chland an
Delaware counties, prav,ne the erection OF nc
county to be called BENTON!
. About the best commentary va can make uPo
this insult TO tho staten by relating the fo''o~n
scene stated to have occurred in Wheeling fe'
, d.y. ago. and which take from the "heeiin
Times:
. Seene.-A sleeping room of a prominent H0fe
Enter Serrdnf. =.
Serpont Master, Col. Benton has arrived
town.
Master. Then hand me my pocket book
Cincinnati Wig.
nf ~