THE AMERICAN ELECTIVE SYSTEM.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 665, 23 March 1859, Page 3

THE AMERICAN ELECTIVE SYSTEM.

■"-' -(From-;a cprwsp^denj^ : As our übun^aties'h&ve^been fixed by nature,,and. as the surface; they;: ennlosdilUnSi:been-very -fnllyl neoplea by time,; .fce'haye ,hqthing 3 wjthirv thescom-' ■nass-;oftlie:;,Briti3.h .Isle;s, r thjit ( aj;.aU. je?embles ani American border Stattrpr a.temtpry ;% grp,wing.inio! one We caunps?therefo.re, ,dr(iw frprij ;dj'sVrit" Miii-j nesota,or Kansas any' illustrations' of tlifd Americani elective systeto forking under conditions like those; among which we must■*continuetto,j.exist;:raThe! settlement.; of a- rough-business: everywhere, and very, ro,ugh is the political process; by which states are: founded on the outer fringe of, American civilization.--A- Kansas contest or the? . incidents of an! election;day;' at-.HLeco.mpton would: . ma ice all'Birminghamaputiup itßr shuttersnwith the! , utrtiost>-despateh; and'ibyj; the ilast'jaccounts,, from; llitihesbtk' wepercei\fe?(thatjtheuballot«box;and,its ! pet fectsecrocy"haye ibeeivtreatfcd-i there jliva <singu-; larly freeandienlightenedirriannev. a-TtoeDemocrats ijeing hardi-vuttaf ia>placecaHed< f Pembirtaf Senior,"; forcibly seized upon Ithe vessel oft ; electionj-ahdvput the1 '* GalUoun-cahd||e*\)bx^Vsyßtem{;iatO: ?} (ullf operation:''"' What 1 the* exact anode! of! operating;vis i'-,we' cannbt say, tout dt■".'seemsr.tdiuyplVe, a good .deal of > subsequentlfbrger-yrfifor;ithe;rPembina f Seniors are simply forged":all the.ueces- ;- sary ddeilmeniSv ipoll;?lists,fnames .of it judges and? clerks;" ;an!d thus came . bufr-wif li to ** full* ihfndMbr ithe: -eriterprisingf party. But even thesetbold tacticsiwere.jsurpassed;i there is aPenibinaiJunior'which, ani'the^samejgQod,cause, ; entirely •»<?t6okethesrag;pff£tfce: ; ,whple (proceedings, -anal^-completely astonished ; old-Eerobina; itself;"; . "thduj^^e'shduldnotlfancydticapableiofsbeingas- - tonisMd bY a-trjfle.: Young'Eembinactoo impatient for so much tedious, forgery, wen<i-.at[.ont'e;tp. first , principles;*<' takingithe ballo:t-boxes.iBtO;the ; United ' Sfcitfes''Land Office tafter>the;eleotion!;wasr oyer, they coolly proceeded* tothraw;out'?ithe : jvotesof .theop-, pbsite patty, f and' pnti.inoenoughtiof■ their-pwn to •show-'-a" majority* i" .There isiaitdecidedsimplieity in this prbcess«but:whetherKof ithelkindoutitheorists contemplate taaybe iquestioned.jj.jye.Jdonotriny.ent the above incidents, but give them as they^re statedlythe-last-American:,'joXnrnaiSi-;j If [there is any exaggeration1 * it;iS;npt-.ours;nb.u.tiasithefr;audu- ;- -1 lent^Vote ofJPembina Juhiotoappearotoibayebeen quashed on^'crutiny, and)tp;majpri,ty;giy.en ; tp the rtaftrp whoseiTOtfes-'Airere Isuppressed,^the -facts may he; nearly as narrated.-."Asiitheifettlers of.all these ; new States "come from the old onesjsthe. facts ; prove atleast that theyrdo npt'bringianyfprofpund,respect • - forthe* ballot-box withuthetns;artd..by w ; hat;giftrof second-sight? is^it. that the\ active party? agents always^^ikifow^which^wayrthe Tdtfis,;hav.e : been!giveil and Ltakesmeasttresaccorainglyi?;T isr./nxo ; : s - Such rough work as thtsimay ; pass in a territory just emerging from .the forest, among settlers who,; however,- muclj'divided .by.part&spirjtj are nearly : ' the same as a "class. In social condition,,,even r in • ' interests,- the^publicans- wJkp.;w.er,e o . submitted "to . the above experience, probably., differed ..little, from the DemocrAtS;i«?hq.,ex(3CUted the manoeuvre., ? Had theslectipn stood aVdetermin.e£ by the act,of fraud, ; .;it would;AOtV r muc^^yp;affe%d;the;safety;;pr pro!-; ■ .gress ofvthe^community.c.olt^was, a bit^of., sharp .practice,.certainiiy f * f .but;i,t wpuldbe difficulty prpve; ; much ultimate !dam^gejarising,put',;of:it;; '/similar'•excesses ;have''been 7 .com^ted'elsewhere, rye;t r ;theJ -. -infant^i»t^s;b;ayeiuryLyeajheii l /^ut,the. circumstances .underv^Wqhiuclilthjngs.; cb-existi with - ■ va-toleral)ie.degr?e ! pf E spcial security America .^rp :s ; nofeito b^found in-pur nationalcopdUfPnrr,lishpuld. be constantlyiTenjembered ~tiia),;jcompared >vith..the. United States," th&>Me TT^ted is almost one'thickly^optea/tilwnV'^We/K^ ' exceeding; P§t.of.S^ United'S|ate^ by;several milliohV^on a.territprX fraction eyen-of the settled^QYtipn of 'the'vast.continent of; ■ America. *'^e-%veiii6re!: greift;cities;;; bur second' •'• Vandrtni^d/ra^'ti^n^^im in;s#aerica rank^ ascaiesjf x)iir,^n Wmß; ijopulationrhe closer;tp- : : ' getUer V by tiiiie f % f#hbu,ts 'only separates them ; ; ' reven.our.: ■ inHabitedirPuW4lWfad|do^otrfun for hundreds of:, ■■ ttie;eye:ar-bpwdleks!;4'the: ocean,:- > -The- lines of. • rpadith^^rrtef^v^cn'otheroyer ; the^surface of. h«y '^tergor^uite^ilear :of:a; "iuburb? •WC .Jcroifd^d,And wedged' together, : xrianyi inier;ests^ plassesg^o^O;"b>|i;)D.f^theni:' ;As vthe;development ritis;ribt^uite;jiust r br.'correct" to. " ckll our sdciety; atpcia^ in its arrangeirients, andVould hot" Bear5 the dis- ; turbances that scarcely affect-a new and thinly ped•pled TState. We literally have not room enough f^r. thegre?tt VbKticalffights'of fAmerica^aiThe risk Js ' :lto6 i;^reat,"-thfe' advantages' -too doubtful,-?to make, !'imitation'safe or oughfc.we to. 'b^'ihstrueted'bythV'faciJthat^iaAm ;evils:of^^itselective rs'y«lteW perceptible?!evenin;the purely agricultural'ahihaljf-settled districts, become' ■niore eyidetit'acd-"iinpr&dangero.tts^ exactly! in.; prp--portipnto the denßitydf> population; and in thope , lpcalities.^^wKerieisdciety'tnost- nearly^ approaches the ; -•conaiti6n6fM:oldcbuntr3r^ r-';»»' ,■>.»-'.'*-•»■•! -y.i'> '.•■<■ j We must turiiftom'the infant States of the Far, : WeWt^the^niorte thickly'inhabited^^seaboard of t^ie. A rtlaatic'tofeStimatefwhat Jkincl of i power universal; •suffrage^has becorae?» Of Statesji-.New York, as it-ificlttdesthe-metropbliftof thct cbritirient.V r? es^ jis far from complete,- In New- York the political and municipal suffrage is thie.'sanie^of the condition pfthe State and city government under it nothing can i convey an adequatei^a.bwt the revelations of t|ie - - American journals; tli^.; §tate. ; Government.is cqr-j .•; iruptf ,'iiut;*hein'fif^uej.ce^;pti^e:frurajt / ;d.istricta''som;e-'. .I.' what (CheQks.ifie'.pawerVof fhe; upscrupulous trading. I ppticianslqffjithe 'cit^^ IP'^?fe^W ic ?Pal^6v^^Po ' mentlhey"reign supreme; 'the^.inauen'ce [has grown ..frpm^yearjto.year, and^they j'tuwjth spaVcely the;, ■': affectotibtt,;pf;;^sgv^lo^;tl^.^pose-^;^ .plunder^/.'Tiie.whole^p^oprietary^fr/a.-gf^ theirs'to'taxj;a^ and they both"tax f .and;!e^ regard to the^^ public interest"and""the! 'boldest1 wltir i vation of their own. ; . T W.e could fill columns' wi;th facts and;details amply preying tjher.cis.^^ich har r i vest of abuses for.' any-number ;pf x .Econpmists and A.dministraUve^Prfnersi.^ienu^ universairsuffrageV,V?hic}i,',.we;^tol^ abuses' impossible.;;. But ;the space' is J better efla ;; ployed in attempting;tp;trace the cause. ,...-.. S -■.'/ 'One may rea;d atty;or'all th? constitutions of the several. Ameiiican States; Md; i&TiisH^iihV' study by ( analyzing'th'e'greStFederal^eharte gaining the least iiisight'intb'ttie methods by which the constituencies aWraa'naged and worked. These : method's"are matters Wf-uiage/not defined orireccjgT: nizedby the- written' law,>but! most potent, in>their operation: ; Nothing?can-be^clearer,simpler^ m^ more symmbtrical tija'n". the5 elective isystem as foundjin; the writte'n)constitutions^i There' ,are isome^minor differehbe's=-between: State-andi State, but; they dp not amount to what^weitermi'" anomalies. I.' Arithmetic applied to; th^totatiofvthe last i census solyes all the difficulties'thatbring dur-Brights; and Ne!wdegates into collision-about borough; and i county members. The letter.-^ the law leaves everything compactan'duniform,.:butthe .practidai ; results that coineOufe of t,he:managemenfrof, -this; gr ; eat spurce; of « politicaU.powerriarei pften „« anpmatous - !: enough; some of themaretat ; this j sorely; perplexing the Americans themselvesvampng whpmi w;e,aretold, it has become; i'iyery.-<.ques.tipnables)tp .thousands, at thinking men! whether; the: system of rrepresentative government ccan.-.qbe:: safely,; applied ,jn'.municipal affairs'' Though it seems .the^immedijate question of any new.JßefQwn.Bill, the point is worth considering* ,-The r niWag?raenV?o^ PW ;c* ties, is|. no I small .part ; of . .thie ..internal..government .<rf t }m ! country,, and the f w ; ide^ suffrage wil^ soon bepome,.as JP:-America, the ..Suffrage,ot the, municipalities also. ...*." .'.V ."! •■'." V [ It is a.singular fact, that while we are dallying { with the unknown po;wer of universal suffrage; ind r dißeujssing.wi.ththe, happy cburageof igjJOTance, the • policy of drglinizirig'it, in the; most populous, Stjate. of -.America,- New Tdrk, .^ie. chief question; mopted is-how itsmanifesieyilsca^ : beremedied, ani> its tyjariny. neutfalizedh.(THe :preW 'of; New YPrk.ot all rparties., agr'eik' Ayith "alfirhiing ■.unanimity in; its desbriptipps/ of bity.ipv.^rnment.', The c 001,,. matter of course manper ;i^.wh^h they charge it

.^ ltb \ *hP.^:ftnd r peefflatidhiscvenshde^ <tn, d corpdr'ati6H-a're;a '■seti.Bf "politiical-'^haits-'is^as-! sumed''a's"aTyVadmitted fact; too riotoribus forariy' • sane'person^ to doubt.; ; " That this has bGeh't;ii6 ciise^ for mariy years is'also admitted, and thatthe annual; "elections, drily" throw' upjiew men,but with noii- f I prpv.emerit iu';.the ; morale of ; the: body, is. deplored.; iEy.eniCliangepf j>,arty.,the only change Jiithertppps-' [sible, has,not bettered the state of, things; the sys-■ [.teni itself i,s n^vy discredited,;an^ *'^ problen% is how r.it,can lie madejtp ielectj men of. average inteiHgence ' and.hdnesty who.Wil^ asx SO' niuclr " plunder.'* 'This ought riot' td! be.'a! difiic.ulty, but it is a very1 great one; those nidst. familiar. with the bperatidhp^ the;systera speak pi, i^it with*despair."i-: v. v-j v; ui;-.u 'U> •; cVA■■:■.-• --v \

-The difficulty lies in the fact that all the immense American constituencies.'are moved by one kind of machinery,,which *• though!well- enough adapted for; small- towns and -thinly 'peopled districts, ,has become mischievous in tlie great centres, and ia;New: York, as«the: greatest, centre,. ; more especially so. Everything "is; Subjected..' to ;party politics.'': The; ; "party" must beke^t,together, and with such' immense numbers to' be/ dealt .with,'that can only;be effected by a severity- of'pplitical:disciplirie of which' we have but a faint idea:,- The*elections of a murii-i cipality; are made- with a constant reference-to the predominance of the party mv the State, and the election's; in the separate States -to that great period-; ;ical^ struggle fpropredpniinance/inthe-Pederal electipn,, which.,; means -the-, distribution:. among,, the leaders, .of all the federal,patronage iii the shapeof •pfficje'.'.,',l?ariy:is th'e;foundation of the whple.politi-: paledificb of tlie Repubiic.; ', ;r . ; / .

; ; The enormous :mass;of voters, therefore, are not '•'leftr-iree-to;-'selec|i'thfe c -j8titest men for city; coiintyvor. 'State' offices, eveh'if they covild discover' therii; they; ■are frjee piilyto affirm the^nominations presented by, the leaders, managers, and -'wirepullers;" the real .elections :ar'e iriia&e- at: the .'.'ipriiuary. meetings," ■:>y;hich.are; very like iwhat; in former, days we used to jcaHj^^ r hple and corner]': meetings. ;In.these the mem-.-hers of the,-'.nptninatingrCpnventions" are appointed.' , The._Vcpm~paci>',-iittle "cbnyeiitipnl'; draws, up the 1" party ticket;," arid "that once issued i t ; is treason to the i' r party" to vp%/agai'nst;:it;'"\Jt:iis ( .affirnied'by; the election asa niatterof course.; Any;buripus it\4 • diyHuals'who may detect; an J irifi^sio^ of scoundrelc:ism the,names are powerless; they cannot !-gd'Over to the opposite party i which' is managed: in ■ exactlyrjthe r samei.manner; • A rival.?ticket:of She jsame.jside. piitvup against the." regular "party homcijiatipnsj' isheldseditipus-f-an act L pf rebellion.;; Dijviding^tnejpartjnjs^a heinous pffence. v ;. r t . i i, vr !;The v .b"ulkrof.--;the vpters,"; tjierefore, to use the phraserin,H-pgue, ■.'• l gp'*it. ; 'blind" ..for.■ the Vparty, ' ticket." .'-That'document Jgroups together all kinds of offices. f 'The fitness of the persons named to; fill Hheni is a: .very^ secondary consideration. J .Hence a - few" anomalies"' are worse, oritlie-whole, than our owiii-whichi are rather in the process than '■■'■the* results. Weionly quote American autliorities -when we ;in'stance!'elective; liiagistrates.'wha were known • associates.of s^pugilistsx.and;"gamblers^ and ;; whp having an .extensive [acquahitance^among the ; criminal. population, not ,unfrequently make thiogs pleasant ; r to their .friends," ,when..in trouble,; ;a; school .ppmrmssiorier; ,^hd cpiild riot '.write his dy^ri name,'ahpih;er'who had served alterni iri.the Penitentiary^are " anomalies "in. abdard of 'public.educatibri';; ahbnialous;als6, arei aldermen. ta;keji'frdm the ring and' a mayor conVicted of swinl---"dling. -; But ;■ they were good democrats one arid all,' Ihctive aridr'efficieht partizans^iri such' districts of the city as'the,"bloody Sixthj'' the :pleasantcdesig-^ .'.nation rgiven tofjone of; the .wards-.;o'f/f New; York. They manage the "'primary.;:meetingsj"- T7 -the -real electipns^.by, methods- of.,,their, own>:and; if the* ;neighbourhpod.'cdnfainsariy.respectability it keeps -aloof .froriithe.prGceedirigs! In the lower wards";the- " rplighs "have" practically disfranchised the. taxpayers. ''■ The ballot-boxes we assume'to be the pro-' r tectidri of 'personal -freedom arid.'independence are placed'in obscure dens, narrow holes of shops^wliich >a rsc6re- or two of ruffians can easily blockade ;for ■t\ie day;; <. They lounge about, smoking, but;vigilant; and if:;the ballot is secret; it does ridtpreclude;mubh fore-knowledge of the concealed intention ji or., tlie iprompt detection of hostile, yotersmay be a pecu- , liar, instinct, for, while the right, ticket 'finds easy ..jaccess,; tlie ..wrong,..one, somehow, may, :,stand hours iri;the rain andmud; ; if persistent is bprinetted andhustled;-, if remonstrant fihds it,better to depart: unvoting,,lest worse should befal, as often happens.; |If these tactics have not been quite successful j a favourite mode of reducing the hostile majority is to seizethe ballot-boxes, pitch theraintd the street, ;kicfcput the bottoms or topsi and scatter: secreby to; the four winds;h.Tlie elections and the nominations (are,, equally .shunned ;in-,,these .districts by;those L whose interests are really at stake. As one of the last New .York papers, briefly- states the-case,->" ras.caiity, is organised^and^^ respectability is not;" some j -surprising^ nprriinatipns are^therefore easily accounted ■for. " f-,So accustotned are ; the;,c6ris v tituencies; to receive arid confirm the.decrees of tjie "boriventhat the:: 6bedience extends evetv to areve-;; rerice forthe locality from which they are issued. has been ithe^head-quarters and centre of the New York Democratic; party, for j^^many. -:years,.and by. tradition;the placejitself ;has acquired a;:kindpp r infallibility; it is,, estimated .that several ./thousands, of citizens ...'always "go", with .'{.Old .;;T.ammany," quite^rrespective of,names or persons; "^its, decisions are! never questioned by this section of .thefaithful;Jthat"Tammany"has spoken;is enough; if its whole ticket:were; a list of the State prison; itjis believed these .thorough going partisans would:vota.--itivoiit-4hei authority of -Tanlmany-hallj it is I the Vatican of the Democracy;- But in. all cases, questions of-personal.'character,' abilityj. and £tness in :the nominated,;ar^: minpil points,) side: issues, trifles; vthat -musfr:-not; divide; pr :; ?weaken l ,the iparty vote, Eor exaniple, to, : -the.objection that, .the ; .person .selectedias Mayor bythe.central pdw<er of Tammany •bore.anoitpriously bad clVa'racter,the answer was! a full admission of the fact, but that it did not mattejr; he was the ",regular, nominee," and his^character was of less im^ortarice to the public than discipline 'tothejpartyv'-1--^ '■■'■'■■i ■■' '": '■'''" "'•*•:* r-:-\ <.: '''•'■-:'-'> \ -:\ •This despotism of politics has in New York produced such glaring'abuses that:--.a strong desire I is. now expressed; to;.get .rid of thethraldorii.; is - shown; that, the -administration, ( of..the city has nothing? to, dpwjth party-;- ; that. .being, of the,". riglit. ,stripe"!in t pplUics does not compensate for ignorance bf,'law,,in; adjudge; that a, comptroller, thbuglv a sound.Democrat,,is a public evil,,if he thrbws^ the .'accounts-into confusion. . But the idea of electing^ ; menfor.their mere ability, or honesty; irrespective df'the one test: of;party opinion; is so novel, it! is received as strange doctrine—heresy, indeed, highly dangerous-to'the-political supremacy of party.; !lt ihas-been impossible to .base-any effective movement. •jon the discriminating principle.: One kind of direc- • tion ;has ; been ■> followed; till any .other is; impracticable; property and, intelligence.are.in a deep;rut; the..mode ) pf extrication, is discussed, but' not yet devised.-: Among the suggestions is one that shows .the extent .bf.the '.difficulty;' it is that. the: tax-, paying classes sliOuld! make no present attempt to reform: the system, but' let things take their course, till the worst point is reached^ When maladihinis-f tration deepens disorder ttf anarchy, and the taxes are raised to within a degreeior two of confiscation, then those who have anything to lose maybe roused to self defence, and descend into the field of action in the shape of a vigilance committee, which is the American form of revolution. , , • .... ; "; i Wei have asserted that secrecy is not the main or only object of tlie American ballot. The Ballot Society has heard from several leading American politicians that it; : may .be made completely secret; those very individuals, never gave a vote in their lives that was not well known to friend or foe^ or they'"aire- most persevering and consummate hypo^ ''crites,;a charge frpm : which, on personal knowledge^ ;-«e can acquit them. All their influence is derivedifrom the^^ publicity .of every. ,Ac career^ ,The host of qfßce seekers, in America prefer 'their claim on their public services to the party, ndtonlyon^their own avowed vdtes, but on ;the number'pf other votes' they; influence. Secrecy is ampossible to any leader, however humble;■-and the, great1 mass of voters do not seek ,it; What, they: find however, is something we; confound secrecy; the individual r ismerged in: the enormpus number; the unit: has no importance, and obtains all ■'the'^ secrecy!! of the, single grainjn a : heap.of-sand.