The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1864-10-12

tiOus man. OF lOT any man. anu VIC VIZ
show that the person doing this always
Iooses more good than he gains, by sup
posing a case which shall be as strong on
: the side Of our opponents as they can ask
/ for.
! You have Republican neighbor who is
nominated for Representative to the Legs
lature in your District, You do not like
him. He tipples every day, gets drunk on
special occasions, swears habitually in con-
versation, spends much time in gambling
saloons. hunts or fishes on Sundays, is
loose in his morals, and has no respect for
religion. You say his example is bad, and
you viii not vote for him.
On the other side Of your premises lives
another neighbor who is nominated for the
same Office on the Democratic ticket He
is unexceptionable In his morals. temperate
in bis habits, never CANDLES or swears, is
kind pleasant neighbor. is always honest,
and attends church every Sunday. You say
he is the best man altogether. and you will
vote for him. You do 30. In each Of the
forty or fifty School Districts, which COM
pose this election District, is found one man
who thinks and feels and votes as you do;
and the result is that so Republican votes,
taken from one side and put on 70 the 9th
or, has elected a COpperhead Representa-
tive.
Now look his course through for two
years, and see how much you and your
conscientious co-workers, have gained
You noticed on election day that he had
none OF your scruples about voting for bad
men on his own ticket; and when you saw
the voters drunk with gratuitous whisky,
others openly bought with money. and 9th
ers imported Illegally from abroad, you
knew these violations Of law were organic
III by Club, or which your d" best man
was a leading manager.
The next day you step into his house, and
find on his table specimen numbers OF every
mean, vile, secesh speech OF COpperheads,
made in Congress or elsewhere, with sever
al defences OF eternal Slavery on Bible
grounds. He tells you that he sent to the
assortment OF documents on these subjects,
which he had been scattering largely. You
then remember that you also have been
'paying your money for documents for cir
culation. but of character precisely tho
reverse OF those Of your candidate, and to
effect result entirely opposite.
But the Legislature meets. You call in,
and take a chair by the aide Of your mem
Der, and hs politely hands to you the last
number OF those lying sheets, the DAILY
Free Press and the \. Y. World, papers
which you would not have in JOUR nUusoi
and you learn that these and others Of the
same kind. are paid for out of his per diem,
which your voted be should have, and are
mailed every day TO some poor people in
IyOur neighborhOod, who take no paper Of
their own. and whose ignorance will cause
them TO believe every lie in those publica-
tons as so much infallible truth.
The next day a Speaker Of the House il
to be chosen, and you are anxious that {
noble and true Republican should be elect
7
Representative goes off with the Copper
head brethren, and returns from their eau
cuses to vote for one or the meanest Cop
. perheads in the House for Speaker.
! You begin to have some doubts abOu
the propriety of that vote of yours which
| elected this man; and these doubts increase
az YOU watch bis course. A Senator il
Congress il to be elected for six years, anC
YOU are anxious to see Howard or Blair, or
some other competent and true hearte &c
4 friend of freedom, fill that important place
but your Representative does all he can fOl
Geo. W. Peck, or John S. Barry, mel
whose political course you know would be
directly opposed to every thing yon hold
TO be desirable f0ryOuF country.
But resolution is proposed that the
State Of Michigan approves an amendment
OF the National Constitution by which
slavery shall be forever prohibited; and
YOU learn with indignation that the I" best
man" member has made a labOred speech
in favor OF eternal slavery, and caused it to
be printed and largely circulated. On all
matters Of legislation, you observe that be
acts with his party, whether they are right
or wrong; and at the close Of the session,
he unites in an address 10 the Democracy
OF the State. villifying the action of the
Republican members OF the Legislature, and
lapplauding every act of tina Comprehend
members.
At the end Of his term OF two years
what has your best man" done for you anC
your principles: Nothing. What has h'
done against you. Eoery thing that IL 'ca'
in his poper to 10. What, then, have yor
gained by voting Tor hims But be hai
gained largely nom you. Your vote elected
him, brought him out OF obscurity, intro
duced him to the leaders Of his party, WHIT
need some just such respectable man as HI
. lie to make their party respectable; and h
/, will, two years hence, be popular candi
J. date for some State Office Of their ticket
;, The very virtues which caused yon to vot'
for him, will recommend him to others, ant
. will give him influence and power-a powe
! which will make him all the more danger
GUS to the cause Of patriotism and freedom
! AS political man, the greater virtues h
> has, the greater curse he is to his country
for his virtues give him power which i!
used only for her ruin. In this point o
;, view, holding the principles be does, tn
better man he ID, personally, the les
should you be disposed to vote for him.
But we contend that you have no RICH
to vote for your political opponent at all
| let his character be what it will Each Pc
ltical party has a connected line OF publi'
: policy which it pursues through a Ions
|, course Of years, the results Of which, on GU
national welfare, are most momentous
Neither party can carry out its peculia
policy except by electing men to power
and every time you help elect an officer OF
the other side, you are working against thu
, best interests Of your country, and neutral
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