Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1840-01-09

| past 100 Hlucn Executive dCilUu leIt Ill tUIS
Government. and he would appeal to that
gentleman, and those who thought with
him, 10 seize The first opportunity of sirik-
ing a blow al Executive influence. He
looked upon this viuu eoce principle as one
of the mos, powerful engines Of Executive
rsnt thar il should be destroyed. Every
rnan " I,o had been in this House for the
lat five or six years, must have seen the
alarming increase of Executive influence,
and Executive patronage, aud the alarm
ing control which party discipline and par
ty drill had over the members Of this
House. He called upon gentlemen of!he
State Rights party 10 join him in destroy
ing this dangerous agent of Executive in
huence.
MIR. Petrikin observed that he. as one
of The Democratic members of the House
" no had beeu alluded 10 by the gentleman
from Tennessee, as being acted upon by
! Executive influence, felt himself called
upon Indignantly to repel the insinuation.
Though he did not pretend 10 contend with
the gentleman from Tennessee in elo.
quence and argument. he neither admitted
him nor any olher member 10 be his supe
rior in frmness of purpose or devotion 10
the hest interests Of the country. He had
listened To the gentleman while he was
charging the party with which he had act
ed with being operated on by Executive
influence, with surprise aud Indignation,
and as far as he himself was concerned,he
pronounced the charge to he untrue in point
of fact. Mr.. 2. said he boldly declared it
TO be his belief that The vra roer principle
Of voting was The true republican principle
and that a man who feared openl 10 ex
press 10 his constituents all his vores, was
not fiji 10 be Representative in Congress;
he should he thrust Oul Of The hall. Mr..
P. said that the first motion he ever made,
hen he first came here, fresh from his ma
live State of Pennsylvania, was to estab-
lish this vira roce principle of voting. He
was nul listened 10, aud perhaps it was be-
cause he was not in the habit ofoccupyns
The time of the House in brawlne speech
es; hut he had made the motion because
The principle he sought to establish, prevail
ed in the Legislature Of Pennsylvania
The representatives Of the people there
are too proud Mr.. P. said) 10 skulk he
hind the ballot boxes. No; they never
fear to let their Constituents know in what
way they give their votes. What (said
Mr.. p. am !, aud the party with which
| ac, under Executive influence! Are
we under any other influence than that
of our constituents No, Sir, retor, the
charge, and ask if it is moi disappoinr.
ambiion-the modification of defeated
party, which powerfully Influences thnse
who nnw seek 10 destroy The vira roce
principle! | ask ifit is not the coward
fear of walking up to tile chalk, and open
y proclaiming their votes to their constit.
uents, that operates on them! do moi
say (conlinuef Mr.. P.,'hatIhey are opera
ted on by such influe. es; hut DO say,
that it is as fair fo- US to make such char.
yes against ,h as for them to charge us
with being uuurr Executive in1ueuce.-
Sir. (sald Mr.. p the charge made by tn"
gentleman from Tennessee. is equivalent
10 a charge Of perjury and fraud-of lrea-
son 10 our constiiuenls-and therefore in
dignanlly repel it.
Mr.. Pickens observed that, as he had
been particularly appealed to by the gentle
man from Tennessee, Mr.. Bell, he de-
sired TO make a very few remarks on the
topics to which he had alluded He Mr..
Belll appealed 10 those gentlemen who an
nounce,l The nti,nen, on this flour. tha,
there had been. heretofore, too much Ex-
rcuIive action in this Government, and be-
sought them tn aitl him in DESTROYING one
ofthe most l,owerful engines of Executive
influence; and asked where that rule con
Ialuing the riua uoce prnciple of voting
had lis origin? Mr.. P. took pride in an.
swering the genilrman's question. The
frsI time he iMr. p recolecred that The
rule was introduced. was in the session Of
1854 and 1885. when it was considered
10y The most intelligent ad patriotic men in
the country, that there was toomuch Ex-
ccntive action on The Government. Ii was
when the gentleman himself was in the
Speakers Chair. that the party of the Ex-
ecutive, with which he acted, and of which
he was the acknowledged head. had that
tremendous majority, which seemed des-
tined then to sweep over all the dearest
rights Of The Country. The gentleman
from Tennessee MIR. Bell] theu acted in
concert with that great parry whose srrong
organization trampled, withou, remorse,
over vanqui>hed minority. He recol-
ected those times well, aud felt the power
of The organization which the gentleman
from Tennessee was then supposed ,osup-
port. lie is the last man that ought 10
ask when this rira voce question was in
iroduced. vnted AT that lime, said Mr.
p against this viua voce principle Of vo'ing
preferring the old fashioned Republican
principle of voting by ballot. and when L
am called upon to vore on this subject, I
shall vote for thai princi pie again-but |
shall not do it :Dr the reasons the gentle
man has offered. Does he suppose thar
| I .,n, tn ho ovarouoI hv Fyecnt;ya -, H.,