American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-11-07
..TIe Right 70 Instruct

on this subject; examining the question
generally, and the extent ofthe peoples s
rights in the premises. Our remarks IN
the article referred to, were written, in
part at least, in response to an artice in
the Gazette, the bearing of which as we
conceived, was to induce our representa-
tives to disregard their instructions. In
subsequent article, however that paper
comedies the right Of instructions, IN
fact. comedies almost everything we as
sumei or even samised. We are glad,
therefore. that there is no controversy be-
ween US,
Ia our last article We promised that we
would in our next take a glance at the
history of few Senatorial elections and
cauc uses, to see whether they coniormed
so fully to torepublican ideas as to preclude
any attempt at Improvement in this be.
half. and in this we must be brief
There is none, we believe, who hold
the representative SO independent Of g
constituents, orso irresponsible to them
as to be at liberty to vote, in the selcc-
tion of a United States Senator, as to vi,
olate his duty to his party. For exam
pie, should Governor Curtin he the Re-
publican nominee, and James Buchanan
the Democratic, no Republican represen-
tative would be at liberty, in a moral
sense, to vote for the "old public iunct-
ionary" And suppose they would do
so. disregarding the consequences, what
would be the opinion Of their fellowmen
in the premises. They could be nothing
short Of a conviction that influences
which ought not to appear in such strug-
giles had had their due weight in control
ing their actions. Some simple hearted
people would at once say, that such re-
suits could never be witnessed in an enligh
tened county like this where the well
mer tied contempt Of the whole commu
nifty would, at once, be concentrated up
on the author Of such base trelchery.-
Yet in examining the history Of our own
State for a few years, comparatively
speaking, we find two instances of this
sort. Yes, twice within our recollection
has the party in the majority in the Leg
islature, been detected in the selection OF
n Senator But when influences can be
brought to bear strong enough to induce
represenfatives to break faith with their
party and vote for an open opponent OF
that party, how much more potent will
be these innu onces when the fo I'D of op-
erations is within the party? For illus
tration take a case which is still fresh in
the recollection of most of us. During
the campaign of "a, (when Pollock and
Blgler ran), General Cameron was an
active member of the Democratic State
Executive Committee, The canvass en-
ded in a great victory to the Wings and
as great defeat to the Democracy. This
victory like the present one, brought
with it the election of United States
Senator. Many prominent names were
urged by the different sections of the
State for the position. But how surpris-
ed were the people to find that when the
canvass for nomination opened Gen. Cam
eron was an aspirant for the position, and
Iikely to win. And how did he procure
that nomination. 1t is well established
rule Of all bodies composed of repTescn
tatiye men, that they vote Ojua goce. In
other words that they vote in such a way
that those whom they represent can see
and know how they vote, When they
convened in caucus, however, to make a
Senatorial nomination, a motion was made
that they vote by ballot mode unheard
of before, and which could only be re-
sorted to for the purpose of preventing
the people from knowing who had be-
trayed them Against this most iniqui-
,tous proposition quite number of earn
est men protested, in, the name of the
people; characterising it at the same
time, as a scheme in the interest ofSimon
Cameron! The friends of the PROPOSE
tion protested most stoutly that the offer
was not made in the interest of Camer-
on, but still voted iorit, and it was adop-
ted The vote was then taken in eau
Gus and the result declared to be that
Cameron had majority over all others
Against this result in the name Of be-
trayed people, large minority of the
members present protested. and refused
to become party to its consumation =
Many of those who had ycted for the
secret ballot and who had availed them
selves Of its covering to vote against the
known wishes Of their constituents, came
forward and with crocodile tears deplored
the Generals nomination but alleged;
thaf ubvv tbat he was nominated thev