The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-04-14


Secretary of the Treasury. is striking commenta-
ry on the determined resistance which the Admin
stration and its parsans in Congress have given TO
every attempt to procure the passage Of an act for
securing the freedom Of elections, and preventing
the interference Of Government officers, agents, and
emissaries. The publication Of Mr.. WooDBURy's
epistle, which was intended to be destroyed, dis
closes only example of the working Of that sys-
tenn which the Administration has in operation all
over the Union. The conduct of the deputy post
master, in this instance, is in exact accordance with
the principles Of Mr.. Walls report, which recev-
ed the sanction Of the Van Buren, majority in the
Senate, and Of the whole party, from the President
down. Proclamation was made In that report that
it was tho DUTY Of the Office holders TO interfere
and, if possible, control the elections so as deter
mine the result in favor Of the Administration which
they supported Nay, it was declared that, not to
interfere thus would be INFAMOUS !" Mr.. WooD-
BURY, therefore, undoubtedly felt that he was per-
forming his first and highest obligation to the Exec
utive and Postmaster General, whose hreng he
is" by taking this jealous and active part in cleo
tons.
The People will in this letter, also, authentic
evidence of the manner in which they are system
atcaly deprived of their rights, and the purity and
freedom of the elective franchise regularly violated.
The successes Of the Locofocos are brought about
by managing grandiy," that is, by every species
Of fraud, bribery. and intimidation. Minors and
other unqualified persons are made" into roters
by some such devices as here developed; and
whenever or wherever there is any lack of pecuni-
airy requisites, there is always some ofice-holder
intimately associated with the grand managers
at Washington to give the assurance lT~" WILL
SEE THAT YOU ARE PROVIDED WITH THE MEANs"~f
Where the means come from it is NOT difficult to
con lecture. Contingent funds extra allowances,
&c. are convenient sources Of supply, when there
are not direct opportunities Of plumber. 1t is
bill to put down such anti-republican, corrupting
and disgracefu Practices this letter from deputy
of the Postmaster General, and relative of the
Secretary Of the Treasury discloses, that is denoun
ced by the Administration and its supporters a
''GAG LAW" For bringing forward that bill, Mr..
BELL, of Tennessee, has been pursued by the Off
cal organ here, and its friends and echoes in the
House, with continued misrepresentation and abuse.
The PEOPLE will see now the motives for the
incessant assaults on that distinguished member,
and for the resistance made to his great measure OF
prevention. We hope Mr. BELL will perseverc in
his exertons, and bring the House pos
sible to vote the question whether officers and
agents of the Government shall be allowed TO con-
tnue these practices of interference any longer or
whether the grand electioneering committee with
the President Of the United States for its head
shall be dssolved-their 'grand managing" stop
ped-their manufactures of voters out of minors
and other unqualified persons, put down-and dep
uy postmasters, collectors, receivers, &c. prevented
from supplying" to their affiliated partisans +" the
means Of cheating the People out Of their rights
and overturning the institutions of the country.
FROM the SALEM (MAss.) REGISTER.
We find the following extraordinary letter in
the Gazette Of Friday
SALEM, MARcn 7, 1910.
DEAR SIR: have Just heard of your brilliant at
your election. You have managed gandly and have no
doubt your permanent and that some other
good Democrat will be chosen Representative next fall Al
low suggest to you the propriey OF finding out all the
young Democrats who will become of before the election
Also the of those persons who not assessed for
any whatever have them assessed by May Your
selecmen make The poll 25 cents, which, being
paid constitutes the voter and at the elecon if there
any persons who cannot pay his tax WILL SEE THAT
you possibly. We must carry the district and
county the election think from this and the last
fall election US ~ or 20 majority Call and
when you in Please destroy this letter. and
believe me to be- sir yours, truly,
R. A.. .DoDGE Esq. Wenham.
FROM THE ESSEX REGISTER.
Verify our new postmaster has entered upon
the duties Of his Office with vengeance. He is
proving himself fit instrument for the footsteps
follower at Washington, and bids fair to rank high
among the sub-treasurers bood-hounds, and 9TH
er allies of Mr.. Van Buren,. A fine specimen here
is of an ofice-holder, and striking exemplifca-
ton of the services expected of him by the powers
that be. What commentary on the hyPocritical
party cant respecting the control of the q elective
franchise, and the purity of elections" No soon
or is our new postmaster ensconced in his snug
station, than he forthwith volunteers his advice
and offers Of assistance to make "young demo-
Gratis" in neighboring town voters before the
next election-wiihout once thinking Of the ne
cessity Of qualifying himself in the least degree
for his own appropriate and constitutional duties.
But let examine this precious production: it
needs to be looked at with care for il is somewhat
of curiosity. Our new official commences his
intriguing epstle very artfully by congratula,ing
his democratic brother on the brilliant success
and grand management of the late election, and.
as sort of plaster, hints that he or some other
i - Il