Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-12-17
Daily Nir9iaiau.
The American Elective System,
From the London Times, ~

are not ashamed TO sneak in ignorance that
must he wilful rs exact information il "a nceessi-
ble If tho Ignorance ia rcal tbev abould r,tber
learn than teach if affected. thew disguise sun
press. or pcrvcrt the truth in either case they are
to the extent Of their powcrs mischicyous Wo
laugh Mt tho visionary uindoos and persians of
the last century ar we laugh Mt wirs md hair
powder but IA some of its modes of dress are ro-
turning upon us, NJ il its most absurd form of
political instruction peri.otion bns only ,bnnced
its locality we nre not sent to China for it, butwe
are perpctually told from many platforms that the
political Utopia Of the earth is America TINT un.
der its institutions a secular millennium hns com
menced that the frugal and the purc nlono roy-
crn its affairs that corruption ~ unknown. OK.
travrganre unhenrd of, aud that the evils England
gronns under have found their romcdy. Tho vol
umo that contains tho 80 odd constitutions of
America is kind Of Scripture "ciyon MS for our
learning" and if we do not forthwith ombodv i,s
main prnciplcs in our political life WI shall ho
finally lost, as we arc already nm utterly deprayed
community All this !. said and apDlnnded. in
defiance Of tho mass of corrective facts brought
by every mail landed Mt Liyernooli
The great principles hy which alone. il il assert
cd. we can Lc snye1 are the bnllot universal ruf.
rrnrc. and n distribution uf tho fran,biso over
equal electoral districts With tho number of rem
rrscn,nti,es upportionel h. lhe populn,ion,
The ballot, II is assumed sou. es r,,tect sccrc
cy as to the yote yi,en. {. .aa1enlly rcffcct ind,
prnurnep IN tho voter .fi.f Il NIth nf1NPyNnl
suI(rns, tber, must bo i.e fell Il r,-af i, nxpres
sion Of pub, opin;,n, c,,,. o.,lt., nothing can
hc done undor il lbat,pul Ii, on,pi,n condemns
Tho division Of the country into electoral districts
is less n unr,ton of nrinciple than tho former two
points; bn, the result of The working of the whole
Of the scheme mny be thus stated the individual
is iud,pendnut Of all ex,crn,l nNncn,e tho com
munity is thoroughly rcprcscntcd. Tint its Cox.
crnment il tho wiscst diserectest. best Is the
necessary deduction if il il not the auperiority
Of its prnciples il impcachca. md they do not
stand the tcst "by their fruits yo shall know
them" which is true everywhere.
Having arrived nt tho first causes in the Amer
lean system, we proceed to the effects. They arc
asserted 10 be- pcnernlly TINT the Americans ms
n un,pe are prnsnerous heyond example. TINT
life aud property nre ns well protected ms in Eu-
rome TINT tho Government ia economical that
evils incident to our system nre unknown Il is
in these assertions we seem 10 encounter tho old
Ilindoo pnnting again there is similar rccc-
tnu of incts n similar aversion of them Bruce
cxplodcd Dr. .Johnson's "IInnny Valley" md tn,
D1ctor hated him, md denounced him ns liar;
but Bruce turned out to he right, and the "lIappy
Valley" il zone to limbo The disturbance Of
ideals Is always resented: but sometimes it has
been done, and it is done to n very considerable
extent for anybody who turns from nn American
pcrfrctibiliiy specch To n flo of American news-
papers Their facts make startling marginal notes
/
Why do our orators 30 cautiously avoid quoting
American testimony to their audiencesY Why
nre assertions nud assumptions that would be do.
rided at New York allowed to 90 unouestioned at
Manchester Why not cite existing illustrations
of the working Of existing systems before we copy
themY If you point to universal suffrage in the
METROPOLIS of the United States visit also it's
CITY hall mud he introduced 10 tho nurist it has
made an alderman as n result he is worthy stu
diving He was charged not long ago with biting
oiT n man. cnr in !, rnu.th anl tumble fght. and
other li,tle excuses Of various kinds are scored
npoinst him bui he cou make and upmalc the
'uI,,c. mad il far ton influential II ncrsnn to mr.
,,uui C,r nm, thint, Withont nm. risibl, o,cuuo.
linn lac will 'nu,5sn 4 E,rtuno aurinr h;a farm or
,H ,c. van ,onv Lr,r mara th,n hints IF secretly
,bor;,,,, tL,r or. o,Lcr .,,rot b;n,s Ia, .;d.s tI,
l,Il,,. lux in lnrge contract. for city works
liohly naid and not executed Int these hints
come only from those who hnye nothing To do
with the mun;r;,nl Government excent npv for
if md have the most snnreme contemnt for cty
roliti,s and the men the ballot lifts into leader
shiu. or there is :he Mnyor himself aiFnble nnd
well dre.,oJ quito n Josenh Surface for readiness
Win sentiments hui unliLn tim, worthy no Inns
pcv,r hoon incon vcn;cnccJ hv his good cbarncter
indeed he has prosncrcd ON a ycry Ind one, 80
Ind tbo, ncnnIe ,re mot souc,n;sb n some tlincs
!, i almost ,nn strnnr n ,r;aI
II rrnn;rcd Gttlo short of n sociol revolution
,, ,nar IN rcscuc tho .;,v from hs firm ,rosn nr
ofi,c nnd we believe no has n yerv good nrospcct
nc ro5oiuing /, Aftern row mora ;ntrodnc,,ons
y,', yill lain 10 understand bo,y il il lint tho
Ti,y Dnyernmcnt of New York costs 70 900 600
.,c,Iirc =, ,nnr Win , hcoyv dn,t Lo.;dr and nor
,.,;v, Il a, universal sufcrore ia nnt ,accssor;Iv
ccon,m;c th,ugh free from lin corrnnt oxamnIe
,f n hammered nris,ocrocv To % tbrouoL n ,cw
STATE G,,rernmrnts. nm 10 tim. 6r the Fcdcrntion
;,self would he ,on lone mn excursion for The
nrcscnt,
r., return, then. from fbcse SINGULAR results Of
tho nerfcct ELECTIVE svst,r II ciiofcloncuts Of
y. ~ rI... i..