ed to a command to follow that prejudice, if
they chose so to term it. it was very natural
that they should have this wish.
The history of the State showed that the
people would be gratified. Therefore, as far
as the argument went, that the connecting of
the two elections would supersede the necessity
of candidates for Governor going about address-
ing the people, it seemed to him to have not
much force; because, whether they had them
on the same day or not, the prejudices of the
people required that the candidate for Gov-
ernor should present himself before them, and
explain his views, it was no use. to say that
this was wrong, and that the people would do
well to correct this habit. They could not rea-
son with stubborn prejudices. They knew that
they existed, and they must deal with them as
facts.
Was there not abstract propriety in separating
these two elections? It seemed to him there
was. They turned upon different questions al-
together; otherwise, how did it happen, as inti-
mated by the gentleman from Kent (Mr. Cham-
bers) just now, that the elections went one way
in November and another way in October? With
the exception of one single instance, this had
always been the result. Perhaps the gentleman
from Kent was not the less inclined to lake No-
vember because the November elections had
always been favorable to his side.
Mr. CHAMBERS. Very far from it.
Mr. HOWARD desired to know how this fact
of the difference in the results of the elections
could be explained? The gentleman said that
the people did not turn out at the election for
Governor; that there was not as full a vote in
October as in November. What was it which
induced the people to come out at the more dis-
agreeable season of November, rather than in
the milder and more agreeable season of Octo-
ber? It was a predominant interest in national
politics. The State elections should be kept
distinct from the gladiatorial merits of party.
By combining the elections, they would open
the door to the trading away of votes; and if
not this, they would open the door in reference
to other opinions upon the merits of State poli-
tics, the appointment of State officers, and all
these prejudices would tend to disturb the gen-
eral result,
When they elected their Governor, they
knew that the discussion which look place was
in relation to their merits, and no discussion
took place upon national questions. State af-
fairs, the state of the treasury appealed to, the
condition of the finances, the prospect of paying
or reducing the public debt, and other matters
interesting to the people of the State, were
brought into the discussions which preceded the
election of Governor, and they had nothing to
do with other matters. He hoped, sincerely,
that they would keep these elections apart. Let
the people, if they chose, sanction or condemn
the action of the State agents, without refer-
ence to other matters in which the State, as
such, had no interest. He concurred in the
propriety of separating these elections.
26 |
Mr. DORSEY concurred with his friend in most
of the reasons he had assigned why the numerous
elections should be kept separate and distinct; but
thought that so far from not electing the Governor
at the same time that Electors of President and
Vice President of the United States were chosen,
the reason urged was most conclusive upon the
subject, that they ought to be connected. He
believed it had been stated by some distinguished
gentleman in this body who had been called upon
lo state what he knew in relation to the matter,
that he never knew an election for Governor,
members of the Legislature, &c. in which the
general politics of the government, as regarded
party, was not the predominating influence which
operated upon the election of the Governor of the
State, and all other State officers. If there had
ever been such a case, he (Mr. D.) had never
heard of it. It was true, as his friend (Mr. How-
ard) had told them, that in the canvass for the
election of Governor and members of the Legis-
lature, the discussions were not confined exclusively
to National politics, but that State politics were
incidentally discussed, but not as the main point
on which the election turned. On State topics
which for the most part related to the State debt,
&c. did the Democratic party take one side, and
the Whig party the other? No, they did not; on
this subject for the most part both parties con-
curred.
But. the election of the candidate named was
urged by his own party on political grounds, and
the other party sustained their candidate on the
same grounds of party. By connecting the sovereign
officer of the State with the sovereign officer
of the Union, we, in America, introduced nothing
upon the field of election which did not necessarily
enter into such connection.
He understood the gentleman from Queen
Anne's, (Mr. Spencer) very differently from his
friend, when he supposed that he did not allude to
actual corruption, but merely referred to the trad-
ing of votes. Now, one of the objects which he
(Mr. D.) had in view, in connecting the election
of Governor with the election of President, wag
to prevent this very trading of voles of which his
friend had spoken. He (Mr. D.) was satisfied.
that this practice had long existed, and had existed
to a great extent, and the remedy he pro-
posed he conscientiously believed was the sovereign
remedy for this trading corruption in the elec-
tion of Governor. Elect him in the manner and
at the time now proposed, and such a thing as
trading away a vote for Governor will never be
heard of. But connect the election of Governor
with that of all our other officers as appears now
to be determined on, and votes upon votes for
Governor will be changed for votes for Justices
of the Peace, County Commissioners, Sheriffs,
Delegates, Senators, Judges, &c. This trading
away of votes will multiply a hundred fold and
annually increase. But as between the President
of the United States and the Governor, if they
were both to be elected at the same time, and
theirs were the only election to be held, he was
perfectly satisfied that the idea of trading off votes
would never enter into the imagination of any |
