, 1840-09-05

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER $, 1910.

Liz ooHN-c AA'o "Aib "obAo
be the policy of the Wing candidate during
the present canvass, and that he would make
no further declaration Of his opinions for the
public eye, the most supple tool of party was
ready to condemn the course, and to exone-
rate the Hero of Tippecanoe from any know
ledge of the letter, or acquiescence in the
policy. In Congress it was denounced by
Good, of Ohio, as a Loco Foco forgery, and
we could mention not a few that swell high in
the ranks of whiggery. who united with a
distinguished whig editor at the east in styl-
ing the committee san aggregation of impu-
dent and impolitic ASSES" No sooner. how
ever, does the Farmer of North Bend come
out, and under his own signature avow that
the letter was written under his direction,
and with his assent, than with ~servile subser-
vience the whole party vie with each other
in defending the policy and in landing the
Independent old man who had adopted it
They have just found out that Harrison HIM
self was wrong; (he gave pledges in 1922 and
in 1826D and the practice and long establish
ed usage of candidates for public Office is
dangerous to liberty, and threatens to under
mine the correct distinction between the
executive and legislative departments, and TO
make the President a part of the Legislature.
His friends pretend that the reason that
their candidate has adopted this course, is
because his opinions are known on all the
questions of Importance and interest before
the people. Whenever the candidate him
self has opened his mouth on this subject, he
assigned Il different reason. He has not hgd
the hardihood or tie e~lrontery 10 make such
an assertion in the face OF the American peo-
pie. lie knows full well. that there are Sc
veral questions of great popular interest up
on which he has never expressed any public
opinion, and those who put words in his
mouth, know as well as he, that there is no
Truth in the assertion that his opinions are
known.
In his speech at Fort Meigs which was
published in most of the VIII papers Of the
state, we find this most extraordinary de"la-
ration"
at is my opinion that No PLErcx should be
made by an individual when in nomination
for Any OFFICE in the gift Of the people,
These are the exact words copied from
the speech as it was published in tie " Full
ton Reiormer' of the 23d July lust, and re-
ported by the editor OF the Detroit Adverti-
ser. II was laudcd too to the skies, and
stamped him rs Il ..f,St rate man," says 4
Wing press. That we may not be charged
with g%arbling this extract. we beg Of every
reader to hunt up n wing paper in which the
speech may be found. and look for himself
No pledge is the expression-without q%ualifi-
cation or reserve; and ii applies not to the
President alone, but to EVERY OFFICER in the
gift of the people. Are the people ready to
sanction this doctrine? Are they ready to
admit that their practice in this matter has
been wrong, and that they ought not to ask
of any candidate for their suifrages what are
his opinions? Is nc promise to be made as
10 WIFI "ne VIII OF Will not 90 DN any CALI
didate for any ofiice9 Will they surround
with the power, the honor, the insignia of
office, the most distinguished citizen in the
country, without knowing what are his opin-
ions on the subjects most interesting to them?
enclosures not men" is the good old rePubli-
can maxim. But if this is TO be the doctrine,
which is to receive the sanction of the peo-
pie, things will be reversed, and the motto
will be ''mcn not measures" Let US bring
this matter home to ourselves. Suppose one
of the candidates for the Legislature in this
county (and mark the latitude of Harrison's
sentiments,) had been asked whether he was
in favor Of the currency bill, and he had re-
piled in the language of Genl. Harrison-"H
is my opinion hat no pledge should be made By
an ind:pidu0l uhen in nomination for any
o6fce in The gift Of The p~eope4' Would any
man of any party have voted for him.
Would not the people have said to him that
n