The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-07-04
Democracr-ub.t il Ottaua Repu1-

Democracy-what is it?-Ottana Repu6-
lisan.
Republicanism-T Aar is it, Ottana
Free Trader
In Minnesota. If our neighbor will keep
his eve open, we will show him the elephant
here, neutrality-suspicious..
Will your You promised something Of
the sort az the April election in this town,
but instead we saw only some heightened
republican visases.
"In Minnesota" We are not so sure of
that A Minnesota paper before us of as
late date as June 9th, claims as unques-
tionable democratic majority of four in
the constitutional convention, without count
ing the four members from the St. Anthony
district, whom the Republicans are attempt
ing to steal by glazing fraud.
BY the way, the name Of that hopeful
apostle Of rePublcanism, Lyman Trumbull,
is somewhat disreputably mixed up with
this business in the St. Anthony district,
and it may be worth while to explain the
nature Of it. Our readers have already been
advised, that, during the late political can
vass in Minnesota, that promising pair-pdr
mobile .tratrum - Lyman Trumbull and
Owen LOvejoy, went on o mission to the
territory to preach negro equality. Trum-
bull confined his labors to the st. Paul and
st. Anothony districts. In the former, after
hearing his "stirring appeals" for four
weeks, his party got the amazing number Of
GOO out of some 9, ZOO votes that were poll
ed-somewhat less than the republicans had
polled without his aid at an election few
month previously. In the st. Anthony dis
trlct, the vote between the two parties was
nearly even, but the result was that four
democrats (where a democrat never before
had been elected and two republicans were
elected. Trumbu!l's chagrin at the result
of his preaching is said TO have been not a
little; and the worst of it was the failure
threatened to turn the scales against his par
~ in the convention. With this idca-tilat
by gaining these four members in the ST.
anthony district-the republicans would
have a majority in the convention-the
Minnesota democratic papers now charge
that TrGmbuli, smarting under his bad sue
cess, concocted q scheme with certain
Rev." Mr.. Ames, the county clerk, to de-
fraud the democratic members Of their seats,
by giving the certificates Of election to the
four defeated republicans. The pretcxt Of
frred for the fraud j. In this wise. The law
of Congress, and Of the Minnesota legisla-
-, To- Il
each representative in the Minnesota lcgisia-
ture, two delegates should be elected from
every district to the constitutional co:.yen-
ton. st. Anthony is both 4 representative
and a council district, eiectiUs two OF the
former and one OF the latter. Tie district
was therefore entitled to SIX delegates to the
convention. The democrats, in voting,
placed their six candidates on one ticket.
About half the republican tickets were vo-
ted with the candidates for delegotes from
the council districts separate from those in
the representative district This ave room
for technical Iuibb!e-just such an one as
one horse politician Ike Trumbull and
small potato clerk like this man Amcs would
be little enough to take advantage Of. But
there is nothing in the election law tina, can
make the quibbic available. On the contra
~, the law, foreseGing the very thing that
has occurred, expressly provides, that in
making up the certificates, the clerk shall
give them to "such members as shall be as
certained TO have received the largest num-
4 w..
misspelling, or abreviaiions.' Should the
fraud succeed, the democratic papers Of
VI nnesota maintain the republicans would
not have majority in the conveniion-but
its failure, which is certain-will leave the
republicans at least ten in the minority. So
We are not sure that republicanism PTerails
lin Minnesota"