Page:The Homes of the New World- Vol. II.djvu/424

Rh of the facility with which a right to vote was obtained by the emigrants who came there, even though they may be from the rudest and most ignorant population of Europe. A year's residence in a State gives a right to vote at the election of the officers of that State, which occurs annually,—hence the election of low, and truthless agitators, men everyway unfit for their office; hence the difficulty for the best men to get into the government, because the best men scorn to avail themselves of the means which men of low principles will condescend to, in order to become the popular candidate, or to maintain themselves in a post which they have once obtained.

It is, however, difficult for me to regard this otherwise than as a transition-point in the great popular education which is now going on; and Wisconsin in particular, seems to have clearly and strongly comprehended the right mode of meeting the danger, and by means of large and excellent educational institutions, both for boys and girls, to be preparing a bright future for the State.

I was travelling in the North-Western Mississippi States, just at the time when the annual election of State's-officers was going on. These elections, and the scenes to which they gave rise, struck me as a sort of political game or race; and the spirit which impels these gamblers and wrestlers on this scene of action, is often little better than that of the ordinary gambling-houses. The gambling and rival parties, Whigs and Democrats, are very little ashamed of puffing their candidate, or depreciating that of the opposite party. Newspapers are full of abuse and lies; outcries of treachery and of danger to the father-land; flags are displayed, and great placards are posted in the streets with words of warning or exhortation, “Beware of the Whigs!” “The Democrats are Incendiaries!” “Vote for the Whigs, the true friends of our country!” “Vote for the Democrats the preservers of popular rights!” and so on. The nearer the day of