American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1858-11-25
re People vs.. the Mechanics.

The People IS. the Mechanics
The popular mini is now fully arous-
ed 10 frauds Of the caucus system, and 10
the inequitable features OF the usual method
Of nominating and ,lecting our chief OIL
cers. The whole management for choos.
ing candidates. prosecuting canvass. and
elec.ing President. hes hithertofore been
in the hands ofa few crank-turners and
traee hiichers. who grind the peopls to
powder with their machines and plots, and
generally arrange things to suit their own
designs. We have long resisted the tyran-
ny Of all this political m hinery. so incon-
sistent with popular independence, and so
degrading to the individual citiSsns Of a
free republic. We have hesrlily maintained
the propriely. nay, the urgent necessity OF
breaking up, root and branch. tie eniirs
fabric Of the caucus and platform machine
~, by which the people have been so long
deluded and trifsd with.
We Me glad to see the New York Trib-
uue joining in with the machine smasher.
and advocating the insIiensble interests Of
the people 10 their primstive capsci,y.-
Conventions. says the Tribune-and we
quotei, as corrobarately in our own views,
70 decidedly aud so often expressed on this
subject Conventions (polilical caucuses
are not merely extra constitutional and ut
teTly unknown 10 the laws they are
practically in the main cabals Of self
seekers. who are nanouvering and eoun'
terplotting for embassies. co,lectorships
consulships. lan1 Offices. auiitorships
&s. Sharply by great effort, and at much
cost Of monev and wear and tear OF con
cienee. man gets himself to the Fa,iona
Convention ofhis party. xitb an eye SIN
gle TO the pushing Of his own political for
tunes" But how TO get clear Of the tan
giles and embarrassmcuts, the ropes anc
wires OF this people crashing machine
Why not. as the tribune says, at once anc
effsetually smash it up for ever? The sub
ject demands this momen' the earnest at
IentiOn Of every softer thinking man in tn
Da;ion.
Let us consult tog4lher aSrAtional, self
governing men and drviss some speedy
method Of destroying the system that rob
us Of our constitutional rights, counteract
our purposes, and makes us the tools o
demagogues and factions. whose least con
cearn Is the voice and interest Of the pop
ular majority.
As one way Of attaining this much t
be desired end the Tribune suggeslst b.
following plan Of elecling President O
the people Without danger Of having thei
fairly expressed preference thwarted b.
the tricks and schemes Of the wire-puller
and crank. turner's. 1t is worth thinkin,
Of, and may lead 10 some practicls result
-[Cin. Times.
The true mole Of choosing Presiien
10 this: Let the Republican and the Dem
ocratic voters Ofoach State nominate an,
support an Electoral Ticket. pledged t.
vote for that candidate for President ant
Vice President respectively whom the lar
gesl number Of voters for that ticke
throughout the Union shall indicate Al
their choice. Then let each voter in what
ever Slate vote the Electoral Ticket TO th,
stron gest party in each State will thus b.
chosen. and ths people will decide. in cho
sing it. for whome the electors OF the re
speotive parties shall vote.
For instance: "Let US suppose that TN
Republicans in 1860 should csrry all tn
free States including Kansas and MINES
sofa. except Indians. Oregon aud Califor
MO, they would have msjoriiy Of th
Electoral Votes, and would therefore chos
the President. Choose whom? We an
swer. Whomesoever the largest number 0
voters for the Republican Electoral ticket
throughout ths Union shall have designa
ted on their Electoral ballots. For in
stance. We will suppose that
100000 shall have voted for the R"pub
lican Electors on ballots headed; "Fo
president, John G. Fremont; Vic,
"Prssident William L. Dayton:"
coo, 900 do. do.do headed. "For .Prssiden
''Willism II, Seward; Vice President,
Francis p, Blair. Jr.;" and
500. 900 do. do. do. headed. "For Presi
"dent S,lmon P. Chase; Vice President
Edward Stauly; and
SOC, 900 do. do. do. headed. "For Presi
"deu,. Charles Summer; Vice Presiden
"Cassius NJ. Clay"
The result in each State (Californi
probably not excspted would bo knows
all over the country in ten or twenty day
after the close OF the polls; AMI the R'pub
loan National Committee would thersupol
announce by telegraph that a plurality q
the Republican voters had indicated Ere
mont and Dayton and their first ehoic
tberioTe, the cntire Republican Electors
Vote should be cast. as per agreement, 10
Fremont and Dayton--wbO would thus b.
chosen. sa.
Here is the entire machinery OF Nation
al Conventions and exclusive party nomi
nations dispensed with, and the peopl
left free 10 vote each man his first unbi,se
choice; with the assurance that he woulC
Ihusin no wise "throw away his vote. no
endanger the defeat Of his party, but o.
the contrary he could. vote his 6rsl choic
in full confidence that. The stronges
party would carry the election; and e :
The man preferred as Presidens by th
largest number in the party would be cho
asn. What could be iair,r than this
What other mode Of choosnga Presiden
80 lhOuroughy. radically Republican an
Dsnocfs,icf
CAaRSKD AWAY pY A KITE An Iris
paper says: A young man, named POwe
residing q. CastlecOmer, went, few eve
nings ago 70 hy. what he termed. spAnis