Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1859-09-30
THE DEMOCRACY AND THE BALLOT,
RON

the Cincinnati Directory was put through the
ballot-boXes Of Kansas, and counted as
brigade Of wide-awako squattcr soveroigns.
These things look very much like cheating
like great crimes, indeed, when we remember
that the will Of the people is the real foun-
dotion Of Republican government, and the
ballot-box the only representative Of that
will. But crime has its glory as we'll as its
shame. The rascal who aims at a big pile is
more respectable than the robbor Of hen
roost. IL one cleans out bank by robbery,
or secures millions by forgery, the adroitness
| the act and the magnitude Of the success on
| title him to the admiration at least of meaner
villains So if the fate Of State or nation
| be decided by fraud-as were the State Of
/ Pennsylvania and the Presidential election in
/ lS56-the crime is magnificent. SO, too, had
| Kansas been dedicated to eternal slavery. by
the fraud Of the Cincinnati Directory votes,
or the legerdemain of John Calhoun, the
great result, would have been the only true
measure of the crime. But what shall be said
of cheating at an election when the result Of
it could not, by any possibility be affected
How shall we measure the offence In value,
the thing sought is absolutely nothing-loss,
certainly, than the price of sheep or a chick
en-. Shall we say that the meanncss s in in
verse proportion to the value; We leave
that for the reader. The fact alleged is that
somebody in Windsor county has taken lib
critics with the name Of John Wright, the
Democratic candidate for side Judge, neglect
ing the somewhat important consideration that
it was entirely ,orong so to do. Wright was
changed to White, without scintila OF pre-
tense that Wright is either "wrong on the
goose" or black in his political stripe, and in
face Of the fact that Wright is quite as white
land doughty, doubtless and quite as sham
my in his Democracy as John White himself
Indeed, Wright was the regular candidate
the sham Of shams, by virtue Of trial by
caucus-and tho owner in fec Of every sham
/ Democratic vote in the county. Everybody
/ knows that there are few of them: was it
not small business to cheat him out Of any Of
/ Them Everybody knows that the office is
very nearly snecuro, and not remuncratiyo
at that; was it not very small business to
cheat him out of it, even if he was like to
get it; But everybody knows that he had
not even the ghost of a chance to get it was
il not the smallest of small business to skin
that ghost? Again we leave it to the reader.
But who are implicated; Democrats, SO
] rail- han, all 81 i
we improve this opportunity to explain wha
we mean by Sham Democrats. The phrase il
often used in this paper and the readers o
it are to understand generally, when we speak
Democratic, we mean the Sham Democracy
whether it is so expressed or not. The rea
democrats were in the Republican party Ions
ago. Democracy, pure and simple, means
government by the people and Democra
means one who adhcres to that sort of gov
ernmcnt. Now, when the party. which a
present calls itself democratic, is but the ech,
Of its executive head, to wit, the President
wit, the pro-slayery Democrats Of the South
when its policy is sectional, not national-io
, slavery and against freedom, and for the part
instead of the people and when its practic
is to carry elections by patronage coercion
and frauds we call that sham democracy. -
r The incident in hand is an example Of tina
/ sort of democracy. when it is used agains
itself Who doubts that the men who St
cheat their own party, would be equally read
to cheat the people, to accomplish their ow
5 purposes or achieve personal advantage :
A That is the moral of the story. SO far a
this is personal matter we vouch for moth
ing, but give the story as we find it in TIA
Vermont Patriot, adding the fact that tn
Q Woodstock Age copies and endorses the at
$ ticle of the Patriot in terms as broad and Sc
r we're as any we remember to have seen of lat
d in that paper, or any other of its kind on
. readers know that the Sham Democratic ed
# itors in Vermont have not been particular
r amiabe towards each other for several month
;. last past.
r A COW BOY GAME.
= Democrat has sent MS the Bciloics Fai
. Argus Of Sept. 9Th, with the following art
Gle marked -
'e "lN BAD REPUTB.-John Wright, one
% the Democratic nominees for Assistant judo
/. in Windsor County, seems to be in bad repui
It with the Democracy where known In No
wieh, his own town, with all the prestige
; the regular nomination, he received but /
) out of l2l votes. In Chester he does n,
d get vote In Windsor but out Of SO yot,
r. are for him. On the other hand, the Ropul
y licans claim him, and elected him Justice
the Peace in Norwich, on a clean Republic,
ticket"
&c We dislike to NEEDLE further with so mi
s. orable a creature as the Argus Cow Boy, 81
m the public good seems to require it.
Another Democrat has furnished us with
b. few facts which may iasten bad repu,e" upc
e Other people than the candidate for Associa
VI Judge of Windsor County.
oil The Friday before the election, Mr.. Rus
n one of the Democratic Town Committee
ID Norwich, received from the Age office, d
a. Democratic paper published at Woodstoc
~ Windsor County, a supply of the regul
~ Democratic County Tickets embracing &
ni name of JONI WRIGHT, the regularly non