The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1858-04-16
BEDFORD, Pa, FRIDAY MORNING, APRIL l6. 1858.

Il sis at certain public places, for the inspection
OF all qualified citizens. The Probate Judge
ssas required TO continue his court for one month,
50 that the lists returned into hfs Office might be
corrected at the instance of any person who
night request it. Is there any evidence that a
single person in either Of these cou mites, re-
quired hl@name TO be put on the list Of voters
and was refused If there is such evidence
have not seen it. Tn my own State each person
who desires to vote at any State or county eiec-
ton, IS required TO see for himself that his name
IS on the list of voters, ten days before the day
Of eieetlon. If his name is not on the list, and
4 he has not paid State or county tax, within
two years, Immediately preceding the day of
election, he is not entitled TO vote. If he OBJ
stlnateiy refuses to attend to his duty, iG having
himself assessed, it is his own fault, and no sym
ysatay is felt for him by any one. The assessor
IS not bound to inform him whether his name is
on the list or not. He must see to this hims elf
| am OF opinion that the people of my State
are IN every respect as good as the people in
Aanaas, and that, if the citizens of Kansas will
not take the trouble to have their names put up
on the list of voters, as weare required to do in
the Keystone State, they have very little cause
ol complaint. They could have been registered
q they had pursued the proper course.
Let US see, then, how many delegates the re-
naming thirteen of the so-called dsfranchsed
counties would have been entitled 10 Ifthe citi-
zens therein residing had been regis tered and
entitled to vote for delegates.
At the election on the 4th OF January last,
when the Lecompton constitu ution was submit
ted for ratification or rejection TO a vote of all
the qualified citizens of Kansas, in the form
desired by the freeState party, there were given
Ia@six OF these thirteen counties one thousand
two hundred and twenty-five votes, ell told,
aud IN the other seven not one vote was cast.
would ASK again, wherejwere the qualified citi-
zeug Of these seven counties at this time when
they could have voted !and ,iit opposed to the Le
compton constitution, had an opportunity TO
show that opposition Were there qualified
voters in these seven counties entitled TO be
represented IN the convention4 z Ii there were
tatIr conduct was not only sngularly strange,
bat It affords strong ground for a presumption
tkat they were satisfied with what the conven-
tea bad done, aud approved the constitution.
here is trite adage, and one generally true,
sc itsssa@ce gives consent. 1t is generally SO
in elections.
Governor Walker assumed this position in
Els :4a1guFal address 10 the people OF Kansas.
t-s
..The law has perfo rmed its entire appropriate
function when it extends TO the people the right OF
suffrage, but II cannot compel the performance of
that duty. Throughout whole Union, however,
and wherever free government prevails, those who
abstain from the exercise of the right of suffrage
thorze those who DO vote TO act for them IN that
contingency, and the absentees as much bound
under the law and constitution, where there is no
fraud or violence, by the act of the majority of those
who do vote, if all had participated in the cleo
ton. Otherwise, voting must be voluntary, self
government would be npracticable, land monarchy
or dpspotsm would remain as the only alternative"
/ have not read this portion ofthe Governors
inaugural 10 show that the citizens of Kansas
had a right to anoul, by their votes on the 4th
OF January last, the constitution which had been
adopted BY vote of the citizens on the 2lSt of
December preceding. Ionly quote from this
authority to establish The rule which / have
laid down, because whatever the Governor says
now is taken by my friends on the other side of
the House as verify itself. II this rule be q
correct one, does not fair presumption arise,
from the conduct Of the citizens Of these seven
counties IN not voting against the constitution
on the 4th day Of January, that they either APP
proved it, or that they would not have voted for
delegates if they could have done so To my
mind i; is clear that, if they approved the con-
stitution, or if they obSllnately refused 10 vote
when they had the opportunity, they would
have refused to vote for delegates if they bad
been permitted so to do, and in either case they
are in law without remedy, and the Lecompton
constitution is to be taken au expression OF
their will.
Let US inquire next TO what number of dele
gates The remaining six ofthe disfranchised coun-
ties would have been entitled in the convention
il they could have elected delegates The con-
vention; by legislative enactment, was TO consist
Of sixty delegates. The number OF voters re-
gstered in the counties presented in the con-
vpntion was 9,251. Add TO this number the
~ hole number of votes given in these SIX coun-
Ties on The 4th Of January last, which was )
225, and You have as the total, l0,4I6. This
number d, ide bv 60, (the number oi delegates
of which the convention was to be composed,)
and it will show how many voters 1t required
TO elect delegate. 1t will be seen that 1t re-
qured ia. If we divide ,225 the number
of votes poIled in the six counties referred to)
by ia, il will show that the sIx counties were
entitled TO just seven delegates.
Now, sir, taking il as granted that all these
counties would have elected iree-State delegates
there would have been just that num5er ofiree-
State delegates in the convention. But, sir, let
us 60 further, and admit, for the sake OF the
argument, that the thirteen counties SAID to De
disfranchsed, mot taking in the account the
three where nobody lived,l bad been entitled
to all the delegates, except those who took Their
seats as members of the convention, they would
have been entitled TO only sixteen delegates; for
il will be observed that forty-lour delegates from
the other districts signed the constitution What
could have been done by these sixteen dele
gates Could they have controlled the action
of the convention Would not the consttu-
t;nn hnra come from the convention precisely