Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1860-07-28
NUMBER 20.
THREE VOTES FOR FIVE SLAVES.

Does the STAKEHOLDER vote for his slaves? is
question which is frequently asked Ct us.
and which naturally arises from the popular
suppo-itiOn that q STAKEHOLDER has three votes
for every five slaves. This is not so. A slave.
holder is entitled to but one vote. as every
other citizen. y STAKEHOLDER, though he pos
scsses thousand slaves, has but one vote,
aud stands, in this respect, on the same foot
ing as the lIumblcst citizen laborer. The en-
cellent Constitution Of these United States,
which has 50 often been looked upon with
suspicion l,y Negro Worshipers and Section
aIists, knows no difference between citizer
and citizen, and therein consists the excellence
Gf our free Institutions; so that at our cleo
tions the vote Of the poor man, has the same
weight as the vote Of his neighbor millionaire.
To say that the STAKEHOLDER has three votes for
every five slaves Is falsehood, and whoever
Iincaims it. either wilfully lies, or knows
nothing about it. and should be careful not to
proinulgatc such nonsense.
-fHhis * one Of the oft rcfuted fafseh0Uds
which are put forth by modern Republicans,
in order to bring up hateful prejudices, and
10 lead the minds Of their tOadies astray. We
will therefore give brief explanation Of this
" three for five" history:
According to the last census, one member
Of Congress is elected for every 90, 3,240 souls.
In counting the inhabitants Of free State,
every negiU counts one for Congressional rep
resolution. In the slave States, however, ac-
cording to the Federal Constitution, five slaves
count but three for Congressional representa-
ton. Virginia, for instance, has 500, 900
slaves; these count but 100000. If Virginia
would abolish slavery to-day, she could show
2YJ0n0 more Of n representative population,
by the consequent rctractior Of this principle,
and would be entitled to two more Congress
siona Representatives. So in Pennsylvania.
II the 10000 free negroes here were excluded
from the count, VIC should have one represen-
tativc less in the Congress Of the United States
than We now have. In other words, as the case
is now, in the free States the people are enti-
-ti-4 - representative -feF-eEeFy-e 80
persons, white and black, whereas in the slave
States the people are entitled to only one rep
resentative for every l30,790 persons white
aud black
And 30 the Constitution Of the United States
Ordans it. If the Republican phraseOlogists
are not satisfied with this arrangement, then
they must accuse the wise and patriotic trainers
Of the Constitution but it is pitifulIy mean,
when they use this clause for the purpose Of
raising Il faIsehood against the Democratic
party. Undoubtedly they have led away many
unsuspeetihg men by this and similar misrep-
reservations, and cntced them into their party
the same party which, In Massachusetts ele.-
Yates the negro to an equal footing with-yes,
to a superior standing than the white man :;
as the adopted citizen there must wait two
years after naturalization before he is entitled
to vote, whereas the negro has that privilege
as soon as his barn. shovel shoes touch that
dcSecrated soil