Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-08-13
THE DEFEAT OF MIR. BLAIR.

There is cause for deep regret that the Re-
publican party is to lose the services, on the
floor Of Congress, of so gallant an advocate of
Free Labor as Mr.. F. P. Blair, and that
such an indication of the progress of the
great cause of Free Labor at the South as
was afforded by his presence in the National
Legislature. is to be withheld for time. Yet
there is small cause for discouragement. When
he was elected, two years ago, he had only
4S6 plurality while the actual majority
against him was 1895. The vote on Monday,
as at present reported stood as follows, with
a few more precincts to hear from
Barrett democrat 6,7ls; Blair (Emanci-
pationist,) 6 100; Breckpnridee <-A-'."' 'e"n''
twill be seen that the Democratic member
elect, out of Is 900 votes has an absolute ma
iority against him of 1900 and owes his
election to the inability of his opponents to
agree upon one ticket. The vote for Mr..
Blair is little in advance of that which he
received two years ago. The American"
vote has fallen offa little. although not much +,
50 that the changed result is owing to the
exertions made by the democratic party, by
means of which they have raised their vote
from 22OO to nearly 1000. This was done,
as the 81. Louis Democrat charges in an
article from which we copy below, in great
part by fraudulent roting. Besides this every
help for desperate cause was resorted to-
The draymen of St. Louis were assured that
unless Mr.. Blair was defeated their wages
would be lowered by negro competition, the
steamboat mon were urged to vote for Mr..
Barrett and secure the removal of the Rock
Island Bridge across the Mississippi, and the
mechanics were told that Mr.. Blars party
would give their trades to negroes. The
lrshman, tho Catholic. every one who had
a peculiar tenet or doctrine, or who cherish
ed particular prejudice, was urged and i'm
plorcd to defend it by voting the " National
Democratic" ticket. Such influences and
efforts have finally purchased barren VIC
tory.
a reverse sustained under such circum-
stances will not snuff ont either Mr.. Blair
or the Emancipation party in Missouri.
From the St. Louis Democrat, Aug. 81
"The result of the election in city yes.
teTday discloses that the freeso vote of St. Louis
county, has divided itself into its original compo-
nent parts-that is democratic and whig-the for
mer going for Mr.. Blair the latter for Mr.. Breck-
inridge. The vote is the largest ever polled 10
this city and from the complexion of the polls
at certain precincts, is evident that much fraudu-
lent voting was perpetrated This is known to
have been the case to a certain extent for rowing
parties of nationals throughout the day promenaded
from ward to ward, potng as they went. Again the
action of corrupt county court imposed upon
judges of election large majority Of whom were
in the interest Of the pro-slavery minority, and
thus check was laid upon the election, such as
would have resulted from fair selection of one
from each party. If to this add the unsparing
of treasury money, scattered with reckless
profuson, in every place of low resort throughout
the city, we shall not have much cause to won
der that the party of the President has succeeded
in polling something six thousand votes,