New-York daily tribune., 1854-08-24
POLITICIANS, PLEDGES.

We gave in our last the pith of the statement of
a certain Judge Wording, of Racine, Wisconsin, re-
lating the way in which he was in 1852 beguiled,
taken in and done for with regard to River and
Harbor Improvements by one Franklin Pierce, then
candidate and now President of the United States
That affecting recital suggests another train of
fectisns beside that in which we have already in
du6ged.
This whole business of running to candidates on
the eve of election worming out of them private
assurances, explanations or eosses to be used in
certain localities and kept dark in Others ia little
better than swinding. Did Judge Wording really
seek to know Pierce's opinion Of the River and Har-
Dor Improvement polcE' Then he had only to turn to
the record Of his votesn Congress- to find hi steadily
voting in the true spirit of New Hampshire Democ-
racy, against every bill for such
against one approvcdby Gen. Jackson. No man could
honestly doubt that these votes expressed his true
sentiments, being in accordance with the narrow and
mslevolent school of politics in which he had been
trained tnd outside OF which he was essentially too
weak and secondhand person--too much product
al party drill and party favoritism-to have an i'm
pulse or thought. In the conception of a
New-Hampshire Democrat harbor on
Lake Michigan can have no other object
no other result than the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of some
speculatOr who has socsred the adjacent laud-sll
such notions as that of farmers needing points of ac
cess to nsygsble water vessels needing places of
refuge from gales and tempests being absolute bosh-
mere fgments of sadspeculators active and airy brain
so Frank Pierce was trained to say and yote-so he
would be morally certain TO think, so far as he is
Peble OF thinking. Our Douglases aud men of that
stamp often vote the same way in order to make Pres
identiai capital IN South Carolina and her OUTLYING
provinces but New-iismpshire politicians of the
Pierce genus actually believe in it, And the record
may be safely searched for single vote or public act
o. the Brigader's which clashes with this belief
In the face Of these notorious iacs Judge W ordnc
who very probably has some pecuniary interest in the
improvement Of some Lake 'HarbOr slips do yn fro N
Wisconsin to Now Hampshire Just before the p,esi.
Dental Election and fosts himself on the candidate
whom Virginia bad nominated and South Csrolip,
indorsed, as an anxious inquirer concerning River
and Harbor improvements knowing as much Of
Gen. Pierce's views as he must have known. since ho
appears to have found his way from Racine to Con.
cord. be meant to effect one other OF these two
things: either 1. To coerce Gen. p into BETRAYAL OF
his well known convictions by the terrOrs of Wes.
tern stampede frem bis support on the River and
Hsrbor question: or 2. To get something oat of him
which could be used to hood~in and dupe the moro
ignorant and simple dweers by tho Great Lakes iuts
total misconcePtiOn of the Brigadier's views and
90 into voting for him under the influence of della
sion If the former were his object, the plot was
dishonorabe. and deserved the deeat il has eneoup
tered. IL the latter were intended, the Judge sue.
ceeded at BILE own expense ss was right His recent
expoAg NAV IA Gen p;arca J,,,. -.
Of arg rs!e-bat can do the Judge or his hsrbor 20