Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1854-12-21

10 tA4 E4AllIs - tAl EHte 4It>~f
CzSrtEnEx As you express ycarseises. N ycnr
at paper n0s 70 Be ricadY and yet atihe
ssne TINE propose nomnas eandsdas Ter Gov
ernor nrier The idea q nrcessity for concentratcn,
scnd the folio9inx extracts from Mr. BESroS's book
Tor car reaeefi0a md that q year readers Though
they treat q ca1enses r the noniaaiioa q candidates
for the Presideaey they equally applicable 10 all
hope theT may have the eaee, 20 e0ahrn
yea your anti feelings. and u induce you esen
% ad yourself s1mpelled By necessity to caucus
q asv kind 70 advocate Paa that viii give The
people some le part the ..sesctiOA Of The eandi-
date and not 10 matter sntirey 10 three or
four ea Who may 20 SsanntOn. elsewhere. 10 let
rs Know their sri sud their ergnsats about he Per
soa FIR whom-asd only whtm-we must vote or not
vote Al all But % the extracts:
Fh. presidential eleetioa of isss IS remarkable
aspect having pat an end to the Pt.ees
q caucus ioF the pesdrnes ~ eapers o.
Congress. This mode Of concentrating pebe opsnioa
49, "A 10 be prscticed the Of The resulu
tiea 10 whoa. public opinoa awarded preferences were
,,.ssag away and uhcn Of more equal preten-
iioas were coming The stage. IL Was tried several
tires with aud appreciation Peoac sea-
tneat having followed and not led by the Caucus
Il was attempted in lSsl and faed. the friends Of Mr.
Cra ford oaiy attendIgolhers moi attending not troa
any rrpagnace the practice, a Their PrSsoa Goa
duo, hsd shown. because n was knowa thai MI
Crawford had the largest naGber o friends IA Congress-
and would assuredly receive the nomination All the
rest therefore, refused 90 into II all joined N OPP
n;ns he ..caurns csnd,aslr a. Mr.. Crawford
called all uaited painting the intrigue and corr ppon
Of these nomiaaiions aad the anomaly q mem
bers Of Congress joining Them BY their joints efforts
they sacceeed aud justly the fact though not III the
motive, rendering these Congress caucus
| od.ous 10 the people, and nr.ke shen ao~n. my
public opinion was adopt dta Of party noin@iions
eniions Of delegates rom the States This work
nomination. Bur a4lel Inc people being sirieiy
obnoxious 10 all the objections Congress css lhs
Baiiens, and many others besides. Me-, bers Of Con
gress m aliended them, either delegates lobby
"A a -.
| coastGeney Delegates attended upon eqavocal APP
poinnehis Double Of delegates sometimes came
IRON State, and either admitted repnised,
suited the Of the msjority. Proxies
vented. Many delegates attended tciM the sole u
sstebiisking clam for Office, and rOted Geeoydngiy-
The thirds rule enied TO enable the MINOR
Ity control tn majority aud the whole proceeding
anomalous aad irresponsible, and subvsrsye OF
tin; wIll Of the people, leaving them control
Kover the nominaoa than the SUBJECTS Of kings have
The birth OF the child Which born rule them
King Caucus Is as potent any other king tins
sPect; for whoever gets 4he nomination matter how
ELECTED becomes the candidate Of the party, the
necessity OF against opposite party, and
the ndsposii Of til great Salfs the House
Of Representatives 10 b. balanced By the small
THIS IS the mode Of making Presidents, practIsed by
10th parties Ii Is the virtual election aud thus
the election o the President aud Vice President Of
United States h4s Psssed-not onlA from the ~ Of
electors 10 hlch the constitution eoaded it. aud from
the people 10 HON the practice under the constitution
gave from the House Of Representatives WHICH
the constitution provided ultimate aIbiier-but has
gone 10 aaomaleus, ire spcns te body uknONn 10
law constitution. unknoNn 10 the carry ages 81
/ government, aad OF which large proportion q the
members composing il, aud much Iager proportion Of
hteropers attending ii. have other view either IN
attending promoting the nomination Of any partic
uar man, than 10 get one elected She viii enable them
10 eat out OF the public er5-who VIII give them key
4 TO the pubic crib.
The ey Is destructive 10 the rights and sovereignty
OF toe people, aud 10 the purity OF elections Benton,
/ col. Isl, page ~. II
In speaking Of the plan reported by select commit
tee. il 1875, aEa consisting Mr.. Benton. chairman,
/ Mr.. Macon, Mr.. Van Buren,, Mr.. Hugh L. White, MIR
| Findlay, Mr.. Diekerson, MIR Holmes. MIR. Hasne and
Col Richard N johnson, for the purpose Of amending
the constitution in reaton 10 tie election Of President
and Vice President, and which plan 10 divide the
States into equal dricr and give the election directly
to hefeople wiihou; 1e Intervention Of the eleceral
college-he says
"Sueh the plan the committee reported ; and It
the perfect plan Of opular election. and has the adj
caEtage y being agfiicbs 10 all elections, federal aud
STATE. from De highest u he loteest The nacbnery
It's operation easy and simple and il is recommended
BY every consideration 6f public good, which Teqnres
the abandonment Vt defective system whth has failed
overthrow Of usurpng bod, s. which have seized
upon the elections and the preservation the people
Of the business Of seect,'ig aswell aseifcn their own
/ high officers Page 1q.
wish you, Messfs. Editors, 10 look at the naked
truth presented by these extracts Of the origin and
the working o. the caucus system, and yon needs
aud against your will have anything Of the kind for
omehing that viii ethrow the s'nsurpng bodies
winch have seized upon the elections" aud will pre-,
ito the people the business Of selecting well
| Is elseting, their own high officers"
should prefer. my self, the independent candidacy,
and which would give the people The choice a the 'se-
leciion Of their candidates Of Governor. But If This
is impraciicabe, thea recommend gu to advocate
this plan Of appointing delegates The convention 10
nomnste candidate, 10 wit Go the pollsbook d
0 - i
election, wlite thea separate pieces Of paper and
then draw the Of the men in convention who
are to nominate canddat This plan will afford an
equal chance all the voters ID the coun
", TO make the Selection and will be fair.
Dont be afraid Of this plan, Messrs. Editors il will
give you the average intelligence and honesty Of your
Pary in the couaty, and State, il pursued The other
plan will send the convention only thsse men who
desire the key the public crib
There is great third party IN the country and
believe it has beea called existence By the evils
OF the caucus system especially beyond all other caucus
hope is composed Of genuine patriots Of both the old
| parties, who TO break down that sy stem-ihe
Pandoras box Of all existing political eyis-a6d 10 re-
store thepeopIe their cpasFoi the elections, and
! over the aG4irs Of the'couatry.
We want The action Of The tranquil masses" in the
selcconof candidates aid in working the government
Tae Surrender Of their action into the hands Of the ire
sponsioe ogarehes Of the Two parties has produced ali
the abolition, secession and sectional feeling Pe
in the land When few men know that intrigue and
bargain and corruption wilEpace The spoils Of the gov
in their hands, there no s<pedlents they
will not dare, however dangerous u tue peace Of the
country, accomplish their obes' The stem
hot bed aud birth place Of trading politicians
II edgenders aud ate5 he fell spirits Of gam
bier, the pirate and the sobPer We want some plan /
that will place a coBeatiohs, II we must have Them
some men who dor7 want tce, aud don 20 into those
bodies for the - ress p1rpdse The plan suggested.
think. would tnfh up many such men, 1t would afford
spunkI,.g AZ least OBSERVER.
I
/ TEE EACH ANG@ BANK OF SELDEN, +
/ WIrHERS & co.