Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1853-06-02
Position of the Wing Party.

It's very common boast of the Democrats
that Gen Pierce has been elected President. by
the almost unanIm us vote of the people. If one
might believe their statements. the " hig party
is not only dead, but annihilated Senator I'm
derwood Of Kentucky, in bret speech In the &
5. Senate, some weeks ago, made an eficctual
answer to tins kind of braggadocia, ht proving
from the official returns. that Gen. Pierce had
received the support Of less than one-thrd of the
voting population of the Union We make the
following extract from his speech:
" am matter of tacf man. | desire Ia
make few remarks 10 reply to what has been
said by the Senator from Arkansas VINO has tho'i
proper to make an attack upon the Wing party.
| wish to indicate that party, IN a very few
words, from the charges he ha, made against il,
and 10 prove that 1t Is not IN that miserable mn
nouty winch he has assigned tolt shall turn
the tables upon hlm by few PLAIN facts show
rug that his party Is exactly IN that position. -
Now, SIR, how many votes did Gen. Pierce re-
ceve? Look at the tables which have been
published, and you viii find that he received less
than 100000. How many voters are there in
the United States Sir for other purposes
applied at the census bureau to ascertain the
number Of free white males over the age OF twen-
ty-one years and found there were IN is5u, the
date OF the census, upwards of 100000. You
have, then, less than onethird of the voting pop
ulation of the United States who elected the can
dldate Of the Democratic party. And yet we are
perpetnally munted with the declaration that we.
the W hlgs, have been overwhelmed with defeat.
and that You, the Democrats, are IN TRIUMPH
ant majority. Thus the democratic party con
trlve 10 make triumphant majority, by elecung
their candidate with the votes of less than a
third OF the voting population of the u. States.
Such is the state Of facts >ir, you might get
every electoral vo.e, provided you could get a
majority Of one IN the popular vote IN each state
Of the unlon-and majority of one has some
times elected Governor of a >tate-l say YOU
might get very electoral vote save those OF one
state, and yet be IN a considerable minority of
the people the United States. | rose to state
these facts and TO show tins Boosting marty,
which Is So constantly taun.lng us with being IN
a miserable minority, that when the amount of
support which It received Is compared with the
whole voting population Of the United States,
that party occupies the very position which 1t SO
constantly attempts to assign to us.
1t may he said in reply, that if the whole pop
ulaton had voted the relative proportion which
each party would have received wo Id have been
the same and that IS the only reply which can
be made to the facts have presented. The fact
that the people did not 60 TO the polls and vote,
shows dissatisfaction, If | may be allowed the
expression, with both the great parties and If |
had time, could show the foundation of that dis
satisfaction But will not go into it will,
however, state the fact that in the State of Ken
lucky, where the whole voting population was
10000 IN 1889, according to the official report
OF the State Auditor, only 1917 went to the
polls at the late Presidential election, leaving
1855, or nearly one-thlrd, who did not vote at
all. | know some Of the reasons which kept
them at home, but ! will not 90 into that subject
now. There Is no ground for contending that
the proportion of votes would have been the
same had all the voters gone to the polls.
Sir, General Pierce Is IN a minority of AZ 900
in the New England States, of the actual votes
given, If you will put the .otes which The gen
tenan who occupies the seat to my left Mr.. Hale)
received, with those OF General scott. And II
you take New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
Delaware and Maryland with them, he will still
be IN minority OF more than sO,U0U of the votes
actually given. You may carry on these cacu-
atons throughout the whole Atlantic States
and II will be found that Gen Pierce did not OBJ
tam half the votes in these States. Sir, these
boasts which are made here, by way of tauntlng
US on all OCCASIONS, nave no facts upon which
they can rest Sir, deny that the ~ hig party
| lack confidence IN the virtue and intelligence OF
the people. ! deny it, and call for proof.