Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-01-09

l;iculprf Ol All presrnt, --'...,y,
and Hale have respectively been run by the
abolition party for President At each of the three
last Presidential elections. Yet rs strong IL
that party undoubtly arc 1T the Norlh and us
fierce rs has been their warfare upon Us, neither
of their candidates carried single State. nor 60;
even respectable vote in any State, such was
and is the anxiety Of every patriotic American to
prevent the choice of President from being left
to the House of Representatives. am aware
that much has been said here about the inabili-
ty of the present convention SYSTEM and the elec-
ton of Presidential Electors in the other States
by the people, to reflect The real public will in
choosing President. But have yet heard no
argument to sustain the allegation. Every en-
ercise of franchise is merelv Y voluntary act. No
man can be forced to vote in any election, and
as the people hold periodical and regular cler-
tons for delegates to their conventions, although
without any authority of law, we mnst rcasnna-
bly, conclude, that they take rs much interest in
voting for a President in other States, as in
casting their ballot for 4 constable, or county
clerk.
have other propositions to submit, but the
two upon which have already enlarged carry
conviction to my mind, and US other gentlemen
will desire to address the committee both for and
against the bill shall now proceed to answer
some of the objections which have been urged
against giving this election to the people. One
objection came from the gentleman from Laurens
(Mr Simpson3 understood him, in The outset
of his remarks, to say that he was not opposed
to giving this election 10 the people, nor opposed
to giving up our present system of elections and
legislation generally, merely on account of its
antiquity in the polity of the State. But must
confess that after following him closely in his
remarks, thought he arrived at the conclusion,
that he was opposed to this change on no other
ground than the antiquity of the present system
of elcctng Presidential electors in South Carroll
ma. In reply to him, have only to say. chat at
the time our act of 1892 was ratified this Union
comprised but thirteen or fourteen States, with
some $4,000, or 10000 unimportant offices, with
a sparse population of but little over 30UO,UOO
and federal revenue Of only about S5.OOO,O0O.
Since that time. the mammoth corporation, no to
speak, of the federnl government has grown 10
such huge proporions-the number of States
added to this confederacy has been 80 great, its
population has increased 80 rapidly, its wealth
has accumulated 80 fast, and the facilities Of
corruption could now operate so fearfuly, that
If the other States were to elect Presidential
electors as we do, honestly believe before my
God, that this Union could not stand the shock
of three Presidential elections, because of the
corruption that would exist in the state legsla-
lures, or be engendered in Congress, by throw
ing the election into the House. therefore mp.
peal to him TO hunt up n better argument than
antiquity" against giving this election to the
people, Our ancestors perhaps acted wisely in
what they did in 1892, and We also, sho1ld now
net wisely in full view of all the circumstances
which surround us and guided by the ligh OF
experience in our government, which It's foun.
ders had not. They established the government
and set it in motion and therefore could not
make all its parts perfect at once. We should
regulate the machinery and alter it, whenever
the harmonious action of our complex system
demands it. speak with reverence but in truth
when express the deliberate conviction that
our foretathers themselves would make the
change proposed by this bill if they conId aci
rs the legislature of South Carolina in 1855, as
they did in 1872:
Next let me answer briefly the gentleman
from St. Johns Colleton. confess that en-
, deavored to gather nt least n skeleton of his
objections to the Bill but that was entirely una
bic to do so. He dealt in such grandiloquen
| phrases, such bold images. such fiery Demos
lhenic expressions, that could not for the life
of me catch his thoughts as they passed from
, his lips He told us n great deal about the frencl
/. revolution, but should like to know what tha
has to do with giving the election Of electors t'
! the people. 1t is very common nowadays, t'