New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-15

eleceo9 g Qyo . leopulesl 9o1es1sX g ~
.oentrA % 4slsss the. popalas choice
whet16f Congi0Ds eau0as or , national
Convention 70 declare the selection Of can
didstes, OF . body Of electnrs % receive md
declare their (the peopletl VOTE, Or Ho1.e
Of Representative to frustrate their 1.-The
pe0ple's1 choice.
The process ofascertaining and making
known this result was embodied in resolu-
tions prepared with the concurrence Of
eminent statesmen and offered in tho
Senate Of the United States, BY Mr. Benz
ton himself OF the principle enounced.
it is only necessary to say that the States
were to be divided into election districts:
Tho people to vote direct in such district
for the candidate they prefer. The candi-
date having the highest vote for President
to receive the vote of the district for that
Office, and 70 count one for the came. II
any candidate receives the majority of the
whole number Of districts, such pesson to
b elected President. II NO one receives
such majority, the election to be held over
again between tho two highest.
''To keep the election from the House
Of Representatives" seems to have been
the earnest purpose Of this genuine Re-
publican and Democrat. He was deter
mined to permit the interposition of no
body Of men between the people and
their choice. He would cut up the bar
gain, intrigue and brokerage of Office by
the roots and cast it into the sea or the
fra Therefore, in case Of the numerical
miracle Of an exactly equal number Of
popular votes for the candidates, he
would recognize the principle of state
hood 30 far as to award the Office to the
candidate having the greatest number Of
votes in the greatest number of States.
More than three-quarters of q century
has rolled away since the election of Mr..
Jefferson by the House Of Representa-
tives brought such reproach upon
the members Of that body. More
than half q century has passed
since the election Of Andrew Jackson, BY
. large majority Of the popular and slec-
toral vote over any competitor, was de-
fsatsd in the House Of Representatives BY
. combination charged by tie Democratic
party to the ''bargain, intrigue and cor
ruption" Of the great and incorTuptbie
statesman and patriot That statesman
was . sacrifice to the violation of the Re
publican principle Of tho popular choice
The identity Of the situation now and
that predicated and predicted BY Thomas
b. Benton may be made evident from the
quoted from his own words.
He -r
Assumed Il was . Fundamental truth that
liberty would b Fuiaed BY providing any
kind Of substitute for popular election.
And asserted that
All elections would degenerate into fraud
md violence If any intefmediste body wss
between the voturs and the Oh |
ect Of their choice, and LACED in . condi- |
ion to be aba to control, betrsy or defeat |
hat choice.
These comparative extracts prove:
That the true doctrine of Thomas Jeffer-
ION was represented by such Democrats
IS Thomas 81. Benton. That these doc
rines are now represented only by the
and that the position occu-
lied by the Republicans in relation to
lection by free will and universal popular
ufrake, applied to the direct expression |
# their choice, is precisely what the true
Democracy in the days Of Thomas b. |
Benton would have preferred. It is ex-
city what the State rights Democracy
.nder Calhoun then, or under Tlden |
low, would not consent to see established. |