Litchfield enquirer., 1849-04-12
LITCHFTELD ENQUIRER
LTTCHFIELD, April II, ISas.
THE ELECTION!

Ihe result OF the recent contest in this
State, may be briefly summed up as fol-
lows:
/. No election of State Officers BY the
people-the Wing candidates being some
1000 votes ahead of democratic ticket,
and the free-soilers polling between three
and four thousand votes.
II. The Wings elect one member of
Congress, viz, the Hon. THOMAS B. But
LER, in this district; the locos and free
soilers elect three Congressman. viz,
Loren P. Waldo of Tolland county, Wal
ter Booth of New Haven county, and
Chauncey F. Cleveland of Windham
county.
III. The House will be nearly or quite
tie between the wings on one side, and
the free-soilers and locofocos on the 9TH
err. In the Senate the wings have from
FIVE to seven majority-and consequently
have majority on joint ballot. The
wing candidates for State Officers are
therefore sure to be elected.
AS to the causes which have produced
this apparent change in the politics Of
the State, we propose to say word. In
the first place we deny that there has
been any real change adverse to the
whig cause, either in the feelings or suf-
frages of the people. The wing plurality
on the popular vote is larger than usual,
and the number of whig Senators larger
than last year. True, the number of
wing Representatives is somewhat d.
minished: but that may be traced ex-
clusively to union between the 'democ
racy' and the free-soilers in many of the
towns-as, in Plymouth, Norfolk, Tor
rington and Winchester, in this county.
In the vote for members of Congress,
the change is even more apparent, and
can be traced to a like source. If the
free soil party had run independent can
didates in each of the districts, every sOhig
candidate scould haze been elected. But
while we thus attribute the defeat of our
candidates directly to the action of the
third party in concert with the locofocos,
we will not disguise the fact that the
wings might have elected their men in
spite of the coalitions, in every district.
A few disaffected politicians, especially
in the list and I'd districts. appear to have
set themselves deliberately at work to
defeat the nominees Of the party with
which they profess to act. 1t is an easy
thing for two or three active men in dis
trict to raise clamor and prejudice
against any candidate, and, by diligence
and INSCRIPTIONS means, they may sue
coed in drawing off some twenty-five or
even an hundred votes. So far from be-
lieving, with our friend BACON Of New
Haven, that the personal dislikes or pre-
JUDGES Of these little squads Of disorgan-
izers should have hearing through pub
lie journals, we are inclined to think with
the Times that they should be drowned
down" by every consistent politician and
true patriot. No party can exist unless
its members are willing to sacrifice per-
sonal preferences upon the altar Of the
public good. Concession and compro-
mise are absolutely indispensable to
successful political organization.
The causes which led to the defeat of
the wing candidates. are said to be local
This may be so, but the results cannot
be local. The wing party Of the State
and of the Union are interested in and af
fected by them. We are mortified and
indignant that such petty personal feads
should be permitted thus to interfere
with the duties of citizenship.