The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-11-12

held, and proved one OF the most exciting
elections We have had. The evening be-
fore, Lane had held . meeting of "the
faithful" to whom he detailed how ''the
material interests of Lawrence" would be
preserved in his hands. He made the
statement that Chicago owed its greatness
to the fact that Stephen A. Douglas went
to the Senate from that place, and con-
trolled Federal patronage so that it had
become a great commercial center. He
could scarcely have been more unfortu-
nate in selecting an illustration. Stephen
A. Douglas went to the Senate from the
southern portion of the State, where alone
he has ever had any political strength.
In 1854 he visited Chicago to defend
his course on the Kansas Nebraska bill.
So few were his supporters. and so bitter
the feeling against him, that he could not
be heard in his own defense. He deter
mined to beard the lion in his den, and
made Chicago his residence, established
press there, and has been gaining in po-
litical influence in that city. Yet he has
a more bitter and relentless foe in the
Federal appointees in Chicago, than in
any other class of men. To talk of man
so situated, so hated by the administra-
ton, as having built up Chicago by Fed
eral patronage, is as wild as it is untruth-
full statement. Chicago owes its great
ness, partly, to its position as the great
commercial mart of the North west, and
partly to the stimulus given by the COM
pletion of the Illinois and Michigan canal,
and of the railroads which now center
there. In spite of the refusal of the Fed
eral Government to make appropriations
for the improvement of its harbor, Chica-
go has steadily gained in its commerce
and its wealth. If Gen. Lane can do no
better than the prototypes he quoted the
other night, Lewis Cass and Stephen A.
Douglas, the material interests of Law
renee" will not be benefited materially
by his election. His sophisms, however,
were received with applause by his re-
tsiners, who fawned around him in an
ticipation of the Federal patronage which
he and Mr.. Conway expect to disburse.
Saturday morning the two rival parties
mustered at the polls and tried their
strength in the election of Judges. A
division of the crowd showed a decided
majority against Lane. The tide turned
during the day, and when the ballots
were counted his ticket was found one
hundred votes ahead. This was due,
partly, to the fact that he had made Goa
litions with G. w. Babcock and Ed
Thompson, the former the representative
of Mr.. Parrott's claims to a seat in the
United States Senate, the latter the choice
of the Germans for seat in the State
Legislature. Without their aid we do
not believe Lane could have succeeded.
Seven hundred votes were polled, a
large number of Democrats voting under
the pledge that they would sustain the
nominees of the County Convention.
We object to the attempt of politicians
to secure Office for themselves by solicit
ing and obtaining Democratic votes at the
primary elections, thus giving a minority
party the power to control the nomins-
tions of majority party. Although the
precedent has been established by previ-
Gus primary elections, and was defended
by Conway in the contest between himself
and Mr.. Parrott last summer, it is, never
theless, an outrage upon the rights of the
Republicans. 1t is immaterial which par
ty gained the most votes by such aid, and is
nevertheless a pernicious custom. Still
more 30 is that Of having a full force of
the shoulder-hitting fraternity present as
active canvassers, and of having a free
flow Of liquor at the cost of the winning
party after these primary elections. 1t is
better to suffer defeat than 10 succeed by
paying a premium to fraud, brutality and
vice.
The Judges were opposed to Lane, but
their rulings were not dictated by spirit
of unfairDess to him. Yet Lane was SO
fearful of defeat that short time before
the close of the polls, he made a stump
speech, charging that "it was evident there
was deliberate attempt to defraud the
people of their rights at the polls to-day"
This was sufficient to set on his bullies
to the task of seizing the ballot-b box,
which, but for the presence Of the po-
lice, they would probably have accom-
plished.
Every primary election creates neces-
sity for the employment of an extra police
force, on account of the practice of buying
votes with liquor. The city authorities
have it in their power to put an end to
this demoralizing practice. The law for
the regulation of the liquor traffic permits
cities to have entire control over the mat
ter. They can, if the public peace and
sll-being of society require it, as it i'm
peratively does, prohibit the keeping
open of liquor-shops on the days of pri-
mary elections, as well as on regular cleo
tion days. Let the Common Council do
their duty, and put an end to election
frauds, and the drunken orgies which sue
ceed nominating elections as we'll as gen.
eral elections.
How Lane Triumphsd-
Phillips described Lane as working
nervously with the means by which the
| nOlitical lever is nOw movadii-maana