Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1856-10-22
TEEN FRRE sTArEs. FIFTEEY sLAVE sTATEs
go 176 Total

Total 116 Total l2O
Grand total 296. Required forchOice 149
The South must be taken as a unit for
the extension of slavery. The addition
of Pennsylvania to the southern vote
would swell that vote to 147, lacking
only two Of q majority. Therefore every
other Free State must be carried by the
friends of freedom, if Pennsylvania shall
Join her strength to the slave oligarcy.
The vote of New Hampshire, of Yer
most, of Rhode Island, Michigan, Wis
consin, Iowa, Californil-any one Of
these given TO Mr.. Buchanan, would in
that case turn the scale in favor of Sec
tional despotism against Constitutional
freedom Not vote, therefore, can be
lost in any State without the risk of los
ing the election.
The Legislature Of each State directs
the manner in which the Presidential
electors shall be chosen. We believe that
in all the Free States this is now done by
generalticket and by plurality vote:
i G., plurality of the voters in State
carry the whole number of electors for
the State. New York is entitled to 35
electors. These are not to be chosen by
districts, SO that part might be elected
for Fremont, others for Buchanan, and
others for Fillmore; but each voter has
upon his ticket the names of So electors
for his State, and whichever general tick
ct has the highest number of votes
throughout the State is elected.
Suppose then, for illustration, that
New York should cast, in November
next 500, 600 votes for Presidential elec
tors, and that of these 100, 900 should be
given for the Fillmore ticket. This
would leave 400,O TO be divided be-
tween COL Fremont and Mr. Buchanan.
Ii the Buchanan ticket should have 200,-
001 votes, leaving for Fremont los. .999.
the whole 35electoral votes of this great
State would go for the Democratic can
didate Just so in Massachusetts, the
one vote that elected Gov. Morton, may
give a plurality for Fillmore or Buchan
an. So in any State. Hence the ex-
ceeding importance of one vote. wien
parties are nearly balanced. Yet thou
sands neglect going to the polls because
they have only one vote.
AT the Presidential election in 1852,
of 839 $50 white males over 2l years of
age in New York, only 522, 1894 went to
the polls; 217, ,ooois far too large an al
lowance to make for foreigners, invalids,
etc. In Connecticut, of l02, 935 adult
males, only 66,76s went to the polls
Surely the $1,000 were not all disquali-
fed. In New Jersey, of 1i9, 557 adult
males, only 80, ,2ll voted. Where were
the Sc, 600? Evidently thousands, tens
of thousands who are entitled to vote, do
not vote at all. These are probably
quiet, retiring citizens, who. if they
should vote at all would be likely to vote
on The right side.
Are you, reader, of this number .
Look. we pray you at whaoGod requires
of you as citizen. You can see that
the Emperor Alexander, as The ru-
ler of 62,OOo,ooO of people. and the pro-
prietor of %. 600 of serfs, whose destin-
les he can control by word, has a d.
rect and fearful responsibility to God for
the use of that power. But unless the
whole theory of popular sovereignty is a
sham, the power deposited in your hands
as voter may determine interests as
momentous as lie within the the will of
the Emperor of Russia. Yourvote may
decide whether this fair land shall be
filed with the fruits of Christian civili-
cation. or with the bitter and deadly
fruits of slavery. Who can be indiffer-
ent to such responsibility?