Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-10-07
s1o she Esi,or NJ NJ Belmont Chronicle.

4
3 The sapient Editor, being unwilling tc
Z risk an answer direct from one SO unex.
perienced as Dir. Spriggs, proceeds to an
!, swer it himself; which he does with ..ful
confidence that Mr.. Spriggs will acquiesce
in the answer given" That answer is 'Yes
The reasons, Mr.. Heaton says, will be found
in the published views of Mr. Cox, the
Democratic candidate for Congress in the
, Columbus district. 1t Els truly laughable
to witness the writhing and turning it re-
qnires TO support the English Conference
} Bill, and at the same time answer yes" to
the question o. A Democrat.
Mr.. Heatont say, kansas last January
polled as many votes on the Constitution
as is given in this district fer a member Of
Congress" True, and if it bad been ne
cessary, and the Cincinnati directory had
held out, they would have polled as many
more with equal facility. There was no
lack of votes 9r voters. Is Mr. Heaton SO
hard pressed that he should base his rea-
sons upon d known and acknowledged
fraud! But what would it avail il Kansas
had Cast as many legal votes at the January
elect ion, as is given III this Congressional
district, would il thea conform 10 the re-
quirements cf the Conference Bill; does
that bill say anything about the number of
votes, which Kansas must poll before she
can be admitted, never word. But it does
say, that i. Kansas rejected the Lecompton
Constitution, which tolerated, and legaiized
Slavery, then she should stay out o: the
Union, until she had the requisite ratio Of
population for representative in Congress,
which is 93,42O. Neither MIR. Heaton nor
Mr.. Cox CONTEND that Kansas has ninety
three thousand, or perhaps even half that
amount Of population; nor was it contend
ed by the friends Of Lecompton in Con-
gress that she had to exceed 35,CG0 in
habitanis; and this is the estimate of such
men as Gov. Geary, Gov. Walker and Sec
retary Stanton; making the population oi
Kansas ABOUT equal to that OF Belmont
county, in 1850. The population of this
Congressional district, is probably over l2O,-
600 inhabitants, or about 81 times as great
as that of Kansas. But Then Lecompton-
ism was tried at the last session, population
was UO part hl tIic lsSuc. AdlISuo opp u
for admission ith pro-slavery Consl;'u-
tion, although fraudulently gotten up, and,
not the will of her people, Congress did not
stop to enquire 10 the number of her in-
habitants; the Democracy desired her in
mediate admission. few only coItending
that her Constitution should be sent back
to her people for ratification. For this
great favor, and coDdescenson, On the part
of the English Cox-an,- -Llw.ence- Demo :
cracy in Congress, they appended the con
dition, that if Kansas rejected the COnstitu-
ton, by voting against the land Ordil ance,
they should not again apply for admission,
until they had the requisite ratio Of pJpula-
tion for representative in Congress. which
should '.be uscrEtained by a nsus dii!y aad
legally taken'' Mr.. Cox advocated and
vo:ed for the Conference bill. with this con
d.tion; hence his embarrassment and glaring
incons istency. Kansas had population
enough for Slave State, but not enough
for free State. This was a proposition
which Mr. Cox found very difficult to man
tain before his constituents, although the
Democratic Columbus Convention had re-
affirmed the doctrine, it was hard 10 explain
and decidedly unpopular with the people
What then was 10 be done; Alc. Cox had
been used to swear by the Conference Bill;
it would not co to give up that cIerlshed
idea, and TO take his true position, that
Kansas was not entitled to admission as u
free Stale, with the same amount OF p0pu-
lation that entitled her to admission as
Slave State: this would overw helm him
with defeat. Some expedent must be in
vented, or al. was lost. SO the idea &C.
CURED that population was a matter ofjudg-
ment, or opinion, and that he would just
sumo, for the present purpose, that Kansas
did contain erequsite population (93 ,420).
Happy idea, Hear hin, when this thous ht
was conceived. Il feel mysel. at liberty,
as member of Congress TO exercise my
own judgment as to the population Of Kans-
as; and though the census would be the
best evidence, yet any evidence, which is !
convincing, will control my action. am
satisfied with the population, and shall sote
for Kansas TO come in"
What evidence could be more "conrinc-
ing'' to Mr. Cox, than that which is about
to be inflicted at the ballot box, the stern
rebuke of an indignant people, accustomed
to freedom. So Dir. Cox is "convnced. =
The Editor OF The Ga>eiie and Cii2eR is
convinced" and ! MIR. Spriggs must be
''ccnvinced;" he must "acquiesce,' he must
answer ''yes,' or he is used up man.
Will Mr.. Spriggs SO far stultiy himself,
as to "acqniesce" like whipped spaniel,
after having fully commiled himself to Ike
doctrines Of the Conference Bill, that katSN77
as must stay out, until she has attained a
population equal to the ratio of representa-
ton for representative in Congress, with
out any reference to the number of votes
which may have been counted at some
election. We shah see.
The signs of the times are very "con-
'incing;" and it may not be ", ndcrsd'at, e
Mr.. Sprggs is already convinced, that he
Is Of the opinion that Kansas contains 93,-
100 inhabitants and is entitled TO admission. !
If he should be elected, and fad Kansas by {
IN actual census taken, according to the re- ,,
luirements of the Conference bill, 10 con-
ain only 25 900 inhabitants, he then could
'ote consistently to kcep her cut of the ,,
Union. He was only mistaken before the I
election, as 10 the extent of the population 9
If Kansas; but not as TO the require men,s +
# the Conference bill. How smart IA
Can the free and enlightened voters of the 4.
7th Congre ssiona district be deceived bv .
uch nonspnsa ms that contninpl in ba ,,. / "