The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1858-11-25
A Registry Law.

upon the poIl!ciil lutufe, namely that
an indispensable condition of Republican
success in the coming great political con-
test OF 1860, is the passage, by such Of
the northern states as do not now have
such a law. Of a just and equitable Reg
istry Act The elements of Opposition
to the party at present in power, are suf-
iiciendy numerous, sufficiently powerful,
and also at present sufficiently united, to
be able, in a fair contest, to overthrow
the present political dynasty. The ex-
periences Of the late contests point
plainly to such result, and nothing but
the most egregrious political laundering,
or the most foolish adherence to obsolete
issues, unnecessary party names and plat
forms. on the one hand, and gross frauds
ut the ballot-box, on the other, can de-
feat it. Money and other means of cor
rupton are every year more and more
freely used in our political contests, and
men such as Senator WRIGHT, of New
Jersey, and ERAsrUs CORNING, of Alba
ny, without talent or capacity for the DO
s'tions to which they have aspired, may
be said to have almost literally bought
seats in our National Legislature. If
resident voters are too honest, too incor-
ruptble, too intelligent, to be coaxed, ar
gued, battered, or bought, into sac
ritice OF principle, gold will find tempo
rary employment for hundreds of labor
crs trom abroad, whose necessities or
greed prompt to a sale of birthright, and
through whom the popular will may be
thwarted. and man foisted upon con-
sttuepey to misrepr sent their views and
TO sacrifice their interests. Elected in
dependent of their constituents, and by
the power of gold alone, they care no.
thing, as was the case with both WRIGHT
and CORNING, for the will or the wishes
of the people they were sent to represent,
but usurp the position of master, instead
of being content with the true one of
servant.
In the late elections we have seen this
and other games of fraud repeated by the
Democracy. In Missouri, Mr.. BLAIR is
nog taking evidence in reference to the
frauds practieed by the Democracy in his
district, for the purpose of contesting
the right of BARRETT to the seat in Con-
gress for which they were the contestants,
and that evidence shows, beyond perad-
venture, that system of fraud was con-
cocted and carried out by the Democra-
cy of ST. Louis, in order to achieve their
own triumph. In Pennsylvania Col.
FLoRENcE's election is also the subject of
contest, and so barefaced were the frauds
there, that the board of canvassers them
selves proposed to repudiate the returns
from the precinct where the fraud was
committed. and to grant to Mr.. FLOR
ENcEs opponent the certificate of cleo
zion. ghis could not legally be done, and
Mr.. FLORENCE received the certificate,
but also, at the same time, received a no.
'tice of contest, which will probably
exentuate in his being ousted In Mr..
SIcKLEs' district, in New York City, the
same system of fraud has been practiced,
as has been proven by investigation
Minnesota, too, in the recent as well as
in former election. has been made the
victim of the same game. Ii is needless
10 point to Kansas for another exhibition
of the means whereby Democracy gains
her victories. All, too, will recollect
chat the Pennsylvania State election of
1856 Was carried by fraud, the influence
Of which, it is acknowledged, afterward
gave tle State to Buchanan. and gave the
slave power another lease of the national
government. We once heard . promi
nent democrat say that it would be i'm
possible for the Republicans eyerto eeet
president, because the South was GER
tain to be unanimous against them, and
rt Mas an easy matter to throw men and
money into one or two northern states
sufficient 10 carry them for the Democ-
racy. This plan was most undoubtedly
acted upon in 1856, and will assuredly
be part Of the programme OF 1860. 1t
will not be sufficient that the popular
heart is with the Republican party now,
nor that there is an honest preponder-
auce Of Republican sentiment in every
free state il 1869. We may have all
ihis, and yet lose the election by such
frauds upon the bsilct,box as those we
have detailed above
The most feasible remedy for this
state Of things is in the passage, in ey-