The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1842-05-25

twenty oflhe States out oftwenly:six,a and
has been.in operations in ten of The old
States for about balfa a century,. and yet
these friends parczcellence of Staae rights
have canjnred up "A '.raw-head and bloody
bones" opposilion to the amendment, and
denounced il as ultra federal, and anti-re-
publican, throw back the denuncialion.
andallege that the general ticket system,
except being unconstitutional, is all that
they have pronounced against the district
system. Some OF these gentlemen have
had the candor to admit that Representa-
lives ought to be elected by districts; that
The system was right; but that we ought
MOTTO say so; that we should not tell The
people, but leave them to 6ndit out asbest
they may. Why, sir, Edo not understand
this dnctrine--tbis blowing hot and bloR-
ing cold in the same breath. lfitis right,
in the name Of common sense letus say
o,:and act accordingly. l take it for
granted, that uniformity and permanency
in the mode of .electing Representatives
were the intent and design of The Constitu-
ton; and that sound policy requires this re-.
form should be adopted. This uniformity
can Be attained in no other way thansthat
proposed by the amendment; and be-
lieve it is the imperative duty ofCongress
to apply the corrective to the abuses grow.
ing oul Of the general licketsystem; sys-
TEN SO unjust, anti.republican, and SO out.
rageous upon the rights ofminofities, that
it can never prevail inmany of the States
ofthis Union. Itmay be laid down as
proposition undeniabIy true, that where
this system prevails, it transfers, by ineVi:
table necessity, into the hands of few,the
control Of the entire vote ofthe State 1t
is twin-sister Of the caucns system, IN lis
most odious and dangerous form; and ena-
bles few political intriguers to dictate TO
a whole State who shall be chosenand who
rejected. Political leaders and asPiran,s
band toge,hen, and determine for the
whole people who shall be placed before
them for confirmation; and they are COM
PEELED to vote4for men whom they never
saw, or ofwhDn they scarcely ever heard;
to vote by faitf; and, in fact, TO br mere
passive machines in the hands oftheir man
ayers. This is part Of the bean,ies of the
general ticket system. From all such re-
publicanism pray TO be delivered. If to
compel me to vote blindly, altogether un-
the merit, personal, or
pnlilical, of nine-tenths Of those wh2---sss;k
ori+r-eeS S.A.o-as ofac,ually as If they
were beyond the seas;-if this be repnb.
licanism, repudiate it altogether. The
honest yeomanry of the country wish to
know the men who seek their political con-
6dence; and 10 judge for themselves, and
not through another, whatare their quail
fications. The district system affords this
opportunity to every citizen W no desires
to avail himself of it; and it is the only
plan by which the candidate for political
favor must stand or fall-upon his own
merits, and not upon the endorsement of
a partisan nomination.
: Mr.. Chairman, see, b. the last census
returns, that the State of New York con-
tains population, in round numbers, of
nearly two millions and a half of inhabi-
tanls. Well, sir, how would the general
ticket plansoperate in that great State !
One Of the political parties would, of,
course, have the entire representation in
Congress, and might leave, if ifparlies were
nearly equal, the enormous number Of one
million and quarter of persons Totally
represented in the national councils,
number. somewhat greater than the entire
population of the four States ofN. Hamp-
shire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, aud n.
Jersey, who are entitled to, aud have on
this flour, eighteen Representatives. Is
this another specimen Of gen,lpmen's re.
publicanism? or do they expect t"conceal
these facts, from the people, and delude
them with the idea that any system is just
and fair and republican that disfranchises
million and quarter of. our fellow-citi-
zcns, even in this young day of the Re
public? and still greater will be the evil
when we have grown 10 manhood.
The general ticket system, trust, never
will be;adopled. 1t would enable four OF
the larger States Of this Union 10 combine,
lift BECAME their interest or pleasuresto do
SO, and to control the entire Legislation OF
the whole Union. II these four States
elected by general ticket all their Repre-.
sen.a.ives would be of the same political,
party and they could mould any thingato
suit their own views. And thus il would
be in the power of abuuton fifth OF the
population of the United States toscontrol
.Il tho o,bers iIIonational Ippislati0n, altho'