The weekly Butte record., 1858-09-18
The Vote of Butte County.


tickets with which the county was flooded, for
the purpose of defeating the nominees OF
the Democratic county convention. This is q
system of political imposition, practised to an
unlimited extent In this county during the past
two years, by those who fear the result of the
calm, deliberate ballet of the people. IfsGth
were not their fear, whence the desire to avoid
fair expression Of the popular ballot By the
introduction of such means to elect thef. men
and carry their measures. 1t Is loose politi-
cal morality that was strange to the patriotic
founders of a republic governed by the will of
the majority, as expressed through the ballot
box, and if tolerated must lead to disastrous
results. Issues to be passed upon the public,
should be fairly presented, and urged upon
their merits, that the decision may be just and
abiding.
The vote Of the county. however shows the
gratifying fact that the citizens of Butte coun-
ty are firm in their adherence to the Cincinnati
platform-to the principles embraced in the
Kansas \ ebraska acs-and in their recognition
of the Douglas principle for the settlement of
the sectional question which has so long and
so violently agitsted the government Of the
country. This is shown in satisfactory man
ner, perhaps, by the almost unanimous endorse
ment of the course OF the Hon. S. A. Ballou
in the legislature during its last session, and
his election to the Senate without opposition.
1t is shown still further by the twenty-four
hundred and forty-six votes given for the Hon..
Joseph G. MeKiben, who. in defiance of power
dared to adhere to the principles promulgated
by the national convention of his party Ont
of the three thousand votes cast, the vote be
received in Butte is decided and emphatic
endorsement of his firm and consistent course.
1t may be urged, however, that the vote given
these gentlemen, does not constitute fair ex-
preston of the voice of the people upon the prin-
ciple OF popular sovereignty as expounded by
Douglas, inasmuch as the county conventions
of other parties had endorsed their nomination
by the Democracy. This is undoubtedly the
case so far as the Republican vote of the county
is concerned. They endorsed them for the
time being merely, while affirming a platform
widely at variance with the national Demo-
cratic principle of popular sovereignty as up
held and advocated by Stephen A. Douglas.
The same argument, however, will not apply
to their endorsement by the Peoples Party
county convention, as that endorsement was
given them because Of their adherence to the
truly national principle of popular sovereignty.
II, then, the Republican vote be sabtracted
from the vote received by Mr. McKibben, the
remainder will be the vote given him because
of his opposition to the Lecompton policy of
the administration. Tracy, who was the reg
ular Republican nominee for Congress, re-
ceived two hundred and ninety-on votes In the
county. Deduct these from McKibbin's vote,
and it leaves him twenty-one hundred and fifty
five-two-thirds of the full number of votes
cast in the county. This brings McKibbin's
vote within less than one hundred of that re-
ceived by W. L. Dudley, and is a fair exhibit
of the actual and reliable strength of the pop
ular sovereignty principle in Butte county.
The vote received by VIM L. Dudley, twenty
two hundred and forty-seven, is doubtless a
fair expression in favor of that principle, as he
was running solely upon that issue; but re-
duced to its lowest possible estimate from the
vote before us, and the principle has been sus-
tanned by two-thirds vote.
Another result to be drawn from the same
source, is the full strength of the opposition to
that principle in the county. Taking Bald
wins vote, the largest that can possibly be
claimed for Lecompton in the county, eight
hundred and seventeen, and add thereto the
Republican vote given for Tracy, two hundred
and ninety-one, and the combined opposition to
the principle of popular sovereignty in Butte
county amounts to eleven hundred and eight I!
less than one half the vote received by Dudley
as the popular sovereignty candidate. But
this far axceeds the actual strength of the op-
position to that principle in the county. Every
possible exertion was made to swell Baldwin !
vote. Doubtless, the actual Lecompton sote
of the county was cast for Melony-three hun
dred and twenty. Add the Republican vote,
two hundred and ninety one; and the actual op-
position to the principle Of popular sovereignty
in the county, appears to be just six hundred
and eleven-less than one fifth of the whole
vote Of the county cast at the recent election.
These three hundred and twenty Molon4yites
were numerous enough to defeat the Demo-
cratic nominees for the Assembly. Hereafter
no opportunity will be afforded them to prac-
tice their Guerilla operations. Those who are
governed in their political course by principle,
and who would see their principles triumph,
must unite in their defence, and sustain their
platform.
The rejection of the English bribe by the
people OF Kaneas, and their announced deter
mination to form another constitution and ap-
- r