The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1842-11-17
From the Globe.
MFA. CLAY AND TIE PRESIDENT


ing the veto power; and am eurprSed at the
general acqIlescsnce with which this charge
agains, the Pes dent has been received; for
do not remember to have seen il denied that
the Bulls winch passed Congress and were voted
received the votes of The Representatives ola
majority ofthe people. THIS denial, however,
InOw make, and shall sustain il, think, by
proof a.a- .. t..' o. -a tsfsJr. "a
I admit that the bank bill for instance, Was
supported by the vote OF a myority of the peO
PIES Representatives., but insIst lbat 1t was not
sanctioned by the Representatives of a major
ty Of the people; and thus essential distinction.
II ifmaintaned, is faialto :he accusation so hab-
i,ually made by Mr.. Clay aud his friends
against The President. ".,2 -taaa .
| shall not now rely on the notorious DIS
clalmer bythe whg party 10 1910, of their lead
ing objects IN that contest; nor on their subse-
quent overthrow in majority ofthe States, on
the development of thel: policy. These are the
usual evidences relied on TO prove that The
Wing party IN Congress are mIsreptesenling
their constituents. But 60 farther, and as
sert that, even presuniDg every Wing member
10 represent hls constituents with fidelity, there
have not been enough Wing votes given n
Congress in favor Of single great Whig mea
sure, TO represent majority Of Tho people!
And now for the facts.
The total majority ofthe popular vote for
General Harrison in lS40, was l43, 407, and
this is exclusive of South Caroline, whose el-
ectors were chosen by her Legislature; and
who, being almost exclusively Democratic,
wond have thrown her entIe vote against
General Harrison, and thereby reduced very
materially his maj joriiy, HarriSoD's majority
further more, was much larger than was te-
celved by the Wing members Of Congress over
their opponents. 10 some of the States it was
twice as large. But let that psss; and let US
take HauisOn's majority as the true criterion
of,he popular strength Of the whig party.
The total popular voio for President in 1910
was 2 402 74I. The toral number of Repre-
sen,auves IN Congress was 242; so that the
average amount of voters represented bya
member was almost exactly 10000. Now.
then. The Wings, with majority of l43 4U7
votes, would be- entiiled to little mere than IA
ofa majority in the House of Representatives;
and yet in 'hat body their majority Exclusive
ofSoulh CaroIina wa 55!l or Al more than
their popular vote enIitiedthem 10 have.
Nov 'et US consider the consequences of this
enormously dlsproportonae representative
power. The greatest muster Of whig strength
in Congress, highest vote given by them in that
body was on their great sine qua non, the bank
bill, on the 6h of August, l64l. in The extra
session. Their majority was 81 only, or ten
voes less than the excess oftheir representa-
0tua ha,e
Wing members refused 10 vote for that bill;
and these seventeen represent l7O, 900 voters.
which far exceeds The majority of General
Harrison, even leaving South Carolina out Of
the calculation.
II is thus proven conclusivety, demonstra-
lively, after allowing The Wings the highest
majority they can claim, and making no deduc
ton for South Carolina, that he members Of
Congress, who voted for the bank bib repre-.
seO,ed a constituency that wanted nearly 3O,-
900 votes Of beng majority Of The people.
But Mr.. Clay tells US tina, Congress repre-.
ssnts the will Of the people: and, undoubtedly,
the Congressional election o. 1910 ls more
correct criterion of the strength OF parties than
the Pres dental; for the conles, for Congress
came first. and having shown which vas the
weaker parry, left that party no motive to rally
for the President. Accordingly, in Ohio, the
aggregate majority for the Wing Congressmen
was only 12,075, or a5out half Of lhe Wing
Presidents majority; although The aggregate
votes al botb elections we're bu, 1000 differ.
ent. lhaye not the returns Of Otner Congress
-sionsI elections before me; bu', # they
were similar in result, rhe sggegae Congress
sioBal majority of the Wing popular vote could
no. have exceeded 20, 900: and thus, when se-
veu,esn Wing members, representing ITO 600
xOters refuse 10 support national bank, 1t
proves tba, darling Wing measure-to be l00,-
900 voles in a minority: and thus the Presi-
dent, in vetoing that measure, has acted in ac-
cOrtance with the will ofa majority of The
people almost as large as that which elected
Gen, Harrison. And yet the President is con
unually denounced by Mr.. Clay for defeating
the will Of Ihe people by the one-mau power!
As for The other leading measures of the
whlgs which the President vetoed, and also
those which, unfortunately, he did not veto,
ahey were all carried by such meagre msjori-
ties (ofone to four Voles) as,tO'be, according
10 the foregoing statements, the will ofa mnor-
1ty ofless than one third Of the e'people ofthe
United States. The bankrupt law and The tar
iff-bolh of which passed finally by a majority
of one yoe--were carried cOntrary 10 the will
of msjority Of about half million ofvoters'
81 The Wings have delighted in Rtigmatizipg
Il a-r. .l-AI D.. H. tol n