The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-08-01
A Crime to Vote

Louis Napoleon secured his election as per-
petual Emperor of the French, and thereby
blotted out the last vestige of French liberty,
by making it a crime to vote against him.
Our radical congress acted on this hint in the
bill which passed the house s'for the further
reconstruction of the States of Virginia, Mis-
sissippi and Texas" by making it a crime for
any citizens, except such as the carpet-bag
registers should pronounce ''loyal," to vote
for presidential candidates in those States. In
France, voting against Napoleon was evidence
of disloyalty that subjected the voter to fines
and imprisonment. In Virginia voting against
the radical party is the evidence of disloyalty
| that subjects the voter to fines and imprison-
mcnt We looked with contempt on the mis-
cradle sham which Napoleon called an cleo
ton, and by which he claimed to exercise
despotic power. Would the election in Vir-
ginia, Mississippi and Texas under the bill
| which passed the lower house of congress on
Friday be less infamous sham 1t Is true,
the bill failed to pass the senate for want of
time; but a test vote showed that it rH be
one Of the first measures to pass that body on
its meeting in September.
The comments Of the Chicago Times on this
bill are not a particle too strong:
It is q crime 10 vote!
| There is no mistake about it. Congress-
congress, you know, 10 the supreme sovereign in
this country since A. Lincoln was "the govern.
| ment '-congress, on Friday last, the cath day
of July, deliberately enacted, on the motion Of
Mr.. Lawrence, 70 loyal member from Ohio,) that
1T shall be penal offence, punishable with fine
and imprisonment for any person IN said states
to vote, or 10 act as an officer Of election, in the
ensuing presidential election" The bill, 10
which this provision was adopted a. IN amend.
nent, passed the house BY yeas 1l2, nays g.
it,-congress, of course, can do snything,-in
| the states Of Virginia, Mississippi and Texas, .
crime to vote
This Infamous device OF tyranny 10 intended
to enable the Washington usurpation to carry
out the purpose Of the so-called electoral col.
lege BILL" by declaring Mr.. Grant to be the
president in spite Of the constitutional require.
ment Of majority Of the electoral votes. ~
That high-handed measure is plain violation
Of the constitution, and is therefore null and
void. Judge Cation, lately chief justice of the
supreme court Of Illinois, and one Of the sblest
urists in the country, says it is the most direct
and internal attempt at usurpstion Of power
that has ever been made in America. Judge
Chase, chief justice Of the supreme court Of the
United States, says it is "a foreshadowing Of
foul play" 1t means mischief 1t means revo-
luton. 1t means another rebellion. II means
seizure of the government by desperate oil.
gsrchy Of bond.barons and a subversion of its
popular form to form better suited to the pur.
poses of moneyed minority. 1t means a def.
ance Of popular rights, and the assertion of
moneyed interests at the point OF the sword.
"Blairs letter." says Judge Chase, "is simply up
to the exigencies Of the times. He sees nothing
revolutionary in it. On the contrary, he 10 in.
clined 70 think that it aims to stop the revolu-
ton which the admission Of carpet-bag senators
| is undoubtedly working in our form Of govern
ment."
The enactment making it a crime to vote for
president Of the United States in three states of
the Union is step in the revolution that must
be stopped. or the liberties Of America and the
form Of government by which, for seventy years,
those liberties have been preserved will pass
away. 1t is difficult for people to realize the
danger in all its startling reality. But the dan.
ger is at hand. 1t menaces us on every side 1t
has gained II foothold that renders the next step
easier than the last. Already the whole power
OF the federal government, hitherto vested in
three branches, each acting Us a check against
encroachnents by another, has been usurped and
is now exercised by single branch, with the
sword virtually in its grasp. In three states of
the Republic it is declared q crime TO vote
How long, men OF America, ere the tyrants you
have trusted will extend this edict of approach.
ing despotism to all of you! How long before
in every American state, who dares to vote for .
president, instead of an emperor, shall be pun
ished with fine and imprisonment?
Let no citizen who is q qualified voter under
existing laws in the three states where our par
tisan usurpers say it shall be crime to vote for
president, be terrified by the threat. This nation
is republic; and the democracy have sworn by
the hood of revolutionary sires that it shall be
a republic still. Every individual state OF this
republic has the right to declare its choice in the
election Of the president No power but sue
cessful revolution can destroy that right. The
people will not naugurate revolution, but they
will meet it. The constitution and the republic
will be maintained at any cost, and at any sacri-
flee. In no state of this republic is it, or shall
it be made, crime to vote for president of the
United States