The Yazoo Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1840-1842, 1840-10-02


mitiee Of thirteen % consider and report 0p>
On i. Jour. Of Con, page z06.
October 4lh. l8Ql.
Col. Young, from the COMMITTEES Of thirteen
to whom was referred the resolution relative
to the right Of suffrage. made report. See
Jour. Of Con. page $40.
The subject came up for discussion, page
Se6.
Martin Van Buren, said. ..that Is the vote
he should now give on what was callsd the
highway qualification, would be different
from what 1t had been % 3 former occasion,
he would give brief explanation. The
qualifications reported By the first committee
were Of three kinds viz:-Ihe payment q
money tax-the performance q military
duty-and working on the highways: Inc
two former had met his decided appreciation.
To the latter he wished to add the additional
qualifications. that the elector should, # he
paid no tax. performed no military duty, bnt
offered his vote on the sole ground that he
had labored on the highway. also De house,
hoider.,'
Mr. Van Buren, then proceeded TO give
history of the voting on the subject, ana
stated as q reason, why he would not now
again attempt TO add the qualification Of
Householder, to the highway qualifications.
that If he did, II would be running the hazard
Of the standardization of the proposition OF
the gentleman from Washington, abandons
ing all qualifications, and throwing open the
ballot boxes to every body.
Mr.. Van Buren, then went on TO point out
the many evils thai would flow from wholly
unrestricted right Of suffrage.
First he said, i would give 70 the
city Of New ok, about IS 200 votes, whilst,
under the liberal extension Of the right or
the choice Of delegates, TO this conVe mich, ,
she had about thirteen or fourteen thousand;
that the character of the increased number
of votes would be such as would render their
elections rather curse tlan blessing.
Secondly, il would not only be injurious
to them, bnt TO the northern and western
part of the State, 6zc., the additional repre-
sentation which next year was g be dis
tributed among the counties, would, instead
Of going principally to the west. be surren-
dered 10 the worst population Of the old
counties and cities. !,
ssThirdlv The door would be entirely clos
ed against retreat, WhaseVer might be our
af.er conviction, founded on experience, as
TO the evil tendency of this extended suf-
ffage.''
He Sid the highway tax was within The
control of the legielatuTes and might hereat-
ter be confined to properly. For one nun
dred years at leest, this would aftofd protec-
would, therefore, notwithstanding that his
desire to have the qualification of house,
holder, added 10 the electors Of the third de-.
scription remained unchanged, accept the
report of the committee as It was, with She
addition of military qualife alton, which ne
thought ought 10 be adopted for the sake OF
principle, if fer no othef reason.
The question was tahen-affirmative SO,
negative Il. So Jour. Of Cor. 568.
What think yos new, gentlemen, Of Dir.
Van Buren's Cen 1cracyf Can any on9 Of
yoa conte2d thai isder ocratic n his prin-
ciples! thae he IS lie poor mans friend! What
mockery; Iiartin an Buren, the poor ma e
friend!! Would Sc n t haverob6ed thera Of
their suffrage, tina, inislimable gil: 70 fres-
man. Contend aot, e democrats, you can |
not shield ali s. tarowi, g around him the
mantle If dstTactioa. There are his opin-
ions Of universal Suffrage, IS expressed in
his remarks of sptember eth and 28sh, and !
October Ath, 1921.
Martin Van BnTsn says 10 the poor ma.
ooa shall MOI vOtel stand aside sir, sou have
no property, you pay no taxes, sou poor,
detested laborer, you cannot vote. Again,
he says, ..by confering universal suffrage g.
would give the city Of New York an irlcreas-
ed number of otes, and the character Of
that increased vote would render their cleo
tions curse rather than blessing,
We would ask, what does he mean BY an
increased vote! The only way that ques-
ton can be answered is, that be refers g
foreigners; that must be his Inference, for
in no other way could the vote Of yeyz- York
Re increased. We would then ask al natuf-
allied citizens, i they car support Martin
Van Buren,, who declared because they were
poor and had no property 70 pag tazes upon,
they would render our elections curse
rather than blessing.
What would now be the situation Ct every
uoor ci.izen who has no properly g tax, had
Marin van Buren's opinions prevailed -
He would have to Sit ii silence. declared from
the privilege Of exercising his suffrage shut
out from the ballot box Of his countrys Yes,
he would have to Sit quietly by and see q
negro. 8 mean slebased species Of man, Wita-
out honesty Of qualification e estimate ths
feelings of liberty. because be was worm.
$50 dollars, march up 70 The polls and exeF-
else the greatest privilege of 9 freemaIs ard
tina. privilege conferred upon him b me
aid Of Martin Van Buren,.
We would ask you gentlemen & you II
tend 10 suffer party spirit 70 blind your .lle s.
msnt and get The better Of your patriotic
feelings. Are Y0u content with Marin Van
Buren, who. under the vii Of democFaey
has plunged HIS sword np 10 Che very hilt