Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1864-12-29

So -
1nea1sA opinion ~ American
Injections.
VI clip ftum IN article IN he uvsspoo'
Carssie's q De. Sd, the following hand
$50 compliment 70 the people Of this ooun.
" upon our management Of elections. IL
he arsids id not appsSr in every respsct
% have been wr;tten in al seriousness, we
Chould b. inclined to put an ironical con-
pkuction upon Il, for such tributes - this
rom that source are like angels visits, "few
md lar between" But it 10 extremity graf
living for u to know that we have, in the
estimation Of our british cousins, one re-
doeming trait in our national character, viz
purity Of orr slectire .frasehi,e!' We only
wish that all they say Of us in this particu.
hr were true. Let Us not undeceivc them,
but end eavor in future. if possible, to merit
tho praise they have SO lavishly bestowed
upon W. The writer, after commenting
upon the frauds, bribery, and corruptions
Of elections in England, points to our meth
Cd Of holding elections in the following Ian
guage, Is an example worthy Of emulation:
Now. we must do the Americans the JUS
tice Of saying, that they surround their vot-
ing machinery with an impressiveness,
and, indeed, We might adj, with = sacred
nsss Of which we know nothing in this coun-
try. The day Of election is the day Of the
ycar-the political Sabbath, when all bust
ness Is suspended, when all shc ps and
stores are closed, when all the bars Of the
great hotels refuse to sell drink to their
own inmates or their best customers. In
fact, the vending Of strong drinks, even
beer or cider. is made penal on this day by
the laws Of the State. The result is, that
order everywhere prevails. There is no
intoxication, no riot, no excitement, beyond
the healthy interest which every man takes
in the events Of the day. In New York,
where, in consequence Of universal suffrage,
the population Of about q million, contains
l5o, 900 voters, there are 900 election dis
trcts the proceedings on the 9th for he
election Of President, Governor, and Con-
grcssmen, and State officers. were as order
II and quiet even as in Christian temple
on Sunday. 1.-The poll. says writer in
the London Spec, ,tor Of Saturday last, who
witnessed the solemn scene, "are open from
sunrise to sunset, and they are opened by
. crier's proclamation at the door Of each
polling place. Near the entrance are seen
placards in which the Mayor offers a reward
Of one hundred dollars for the conviction oil
any person Offering vote Illegally; an
other announcing the penalties for intinid.
ating or dcterrng voters in the exercise OF
the franchise. The only admitted check to
polling q vote is challenge, which must be
given by voter in the district. 1t may be
for non.rcsidence or alcnagc, or for having
bet on an elccton-for by law he who bets
on an election loses his right of suiT aye for
that time. This is to protect the ballot box
from the demoralizing eiierts of great pecu
mary stakes upon the result Of an election.
The person challenged, must justify his
vote by oath after having answered such
questions as may be put to him, or forego
his vote. ~. The challenger must
always face the challenged"
The facts embodied in this passage will
appear noval to many Of our local readers
DR.. Mackay. tho Times correspondent ir
New York, declares this week. in one Of his
letters to that journal, that merely in the
commercial metropolis Of the Union, but
through the whole land, the great election
Of November, 1864. was most crclit,ble tc
the character and intelligence Of the Amcri
can people and testimony more disintcrest
Cd considering his known opinions, cor
scarcely be adduccd. I'm all my peralnbu
lations through unlovely places on Tuesday
last" says the writer in tho Spectator al
ready quoted, II saw not one IMAM who was
coca ercited by tiqwor, although I noticed
some who exhibited the torpid remnants Of
last nights drink" If we contrast these
pictures drawn respectively by an American
and an Englishman-and the two natonali
ties agreeing are tolerably good evidence o,
truth-with the scenes witnessed during
election time in some Of the great towns II
the Old country, is not the contrast humili-
atingy Who gains most by English cleo
ton The publican, the man who, in
America. is dcbarrcd of all others, by heavy
penalties, from following his calling. Who
is so likely to be tempered with in the ex-
ereise Of his great privilege as the inebriated
voter? A man whose better nature nigh,
induce him to scorn bride, and in his so.
Der moments knock down the tempter, is
purposely, under our English system. made
tt flr treason, stratagems. and spoils."
Between New York and Liverpool there
are several characteristics in common. The
former is the greatest commercial city or
the American continent; the latter tn,
greatest maritime place in England. Both
have progressed within the memory Of liv
ing man beyond all other searorts on Tho
face the globe; bnt when we come t,
compare purity Of election in these grca
towns, We are compelled to blush for En-
glish law and English habits. On the Is
Of November we elected l6 members for tn,
Livcrp 'ol Town Council amid scenes o
drunkness and bribery Of the most bar.
faced and revolving description while o,
the Sth OF the same month, in the Liverpoo
Of America, all the great State Officers. an,
even the American President himself wer
voted in by a constituency eight times. il
excess Of that on the right bank Of the MGR
scy, and that, too, with n sense Of decorur
and responsibility worthy Of u Quake
meeting house Have we not reason I
desire, in this respect at least, thoroug
revision Of our institution Spero meliora
RE-ARREsr OF RADERs.-The Toront
Globe Of yesterday, has the following in r,
lation to the re-arrest Of = number Of til
st. Adams raiders:
with great pleasure we annoonce tn