Butte record. (Bidwell, Butte County, Cal.) 1853-1858, 1855-03-03
The Gwin organs are laboring har,


in the legislature, who have planted
themselves on the time-honored usages
Of the party, and are ready to submit
their course to the people. We propose
to briefly review the facts and figures Of
the late unfrutfiil contest for Senator
and will show to the satisfaction of eve
ry unprejudiced person that DIR. Gwin
has at no time had fair majority Of
the seventy democrats in the Legisla-
tuie. While Calvin, of Tuolumne held
a seat in the Legislature, to which ii
seems he was not entitled, there were
II democrats in the Legislature, accor-
ding to the classification of Members in
the Annual Register. As Calvin has
since been beaten by whig in demo-
cratic county, we take it for or. nted he
had no right in the caucus to assist in
thrusting Gwin upon the party. We
shall also protest against another Hon.
gentleman going into democratic eau
Gus and assisting in its deliberations
That gentleman is Col. Watkins, of AL
ameda. We are advised from Sacra-
mento that he declined being nominated
by the democratic convention of his
county, and ran as an Independent can
ddate, because he was opposed to the
caucus system He last winter de-
nounced King Caucus as "a stllletto, to
be used in the dark" Although we ad-
h ere 10 the caucus system, we object to
having men who oppose the system, en-
ter the councils of the party only when
they have their own preferences to ad-
vance, and by their presence force an
obnoxious nominee upon the democratic
party. After having denounced the
caucus system last winter, and declined
a nomination from the democracy of his
county, because opposed to ciucuses
and conventions, he was elected as an
Independent candidate, and finding he
could advance his own choice, he enters
the democratic caucus, and assists in
the nomination of a candidate for the
most important Office in the gift of the
State. We accord to Col. Watkins the
privilege of pursuing such course as
may please him, being independent of
party ties AT the same we insist that
the democracy are not bound by party
ftalty to support a man who has thus
received nomination. And we would
ask the democracy of California if they
are willing to be thus controlled, and
have the prominent offices controlled by
who denounce the usages of the party,
and who will abide by them only when
their own preferences are to be ad-
vanced.
OWNS vote in caucus was SO. But if
we deprive him Of the votes of Gil. Wat
kins and Mr. Calvin, he would have had
81, which is not majority of the demo-
cratic vote in the legislature, as, after
excluding Calvin, who was not entitled
to seat in the Legislature, and Col
watkins, who believes in caucusing only
when his individual preference are to be
sustained, it would sti leave 90 demo-
Gratis in the legislature, according 10 the
classification Of the Annual Register
1t vii thus be seen that DR.. Gwin did
not have fair majority of those who
entered the legislature protesting allegi-
ance to the time-honored usages and
Gus oms of the democratic party, and
the democracy were under no obliga-
tons to swallow him at the order of his
permanent organ at San Francisco, or
its mushroom assistants that have sprung
up to do his bidding throughout the
State. The Times and Transcript lays
great stress on the fact that Gw:n has
received forty votes in the joint convcn-
ton, but does not mention the fact that
two wings we're voting for him, viz:
Burke and Rowe, and Col. Watkins
Independent and anti-caucus, and Geo
Penn johnson, Esq, who was elected
by the Know Nothing vote of San Fran
cisco. The same paper says that the
whig party proper in the Legislature
number about 81 veven votes, while
the Annual Register classes IL as wings.
As four wings have occasionally voted
for Gwin, they are of course good dem
ocrats in the estimation of the Times and
Transcript, and are entitled to direct
and control the democracy. We think
different, and are glad to see sufficient
democrats in the Legislature to prevent
a flction from controlling the party by
their aid. If wings are going to par
eel out Offices in the gift of the democ>
racy, let them have control of every