American literature -- Periodicals; Literature -- Periodicals
Photographed from the original poll-book, now on file in the county
clerk's office, Springfield, Illinois. Lincoln's first vote was cast
at New Salem, "in the Clary's Grove precinct," August 1, 1831. At this
election he aided Mr. Graham, who was one of the clerks. In the early
days in Illinois, elections were conducted by the _viva voce_ method.
The people did try voting by ballot, but the experiment was unpopular.
It required too much "book larnin," and in 1829 the _viva voce_ method
of voting was restored. The judges and clerks sat at a table with the
poll-book before them. The voter walked up, and announced the
candidate of his choice, and it was recorded in his presence. There
was no ticket peddling, and ballot-box stuffing was impossible. To
this simple system we are indebted for the record of Lincoln's first
vote. As will be seen from the fac-simile, Lincoln voted for James
Turney for Congressman, Bowling Green and Edmund Greer for
Magistrates, and John Armstrong and Henry Sinco for Constables. Of
these five men three were elected. Turney was defeated for Congressman
by Joseph Duncan. Turney lived in Greene County. He was not then a
conspicuous figure in the politics of the State, but was a follower of
Henry Clay, and was well thought of in his own district. He and
Lincoln, in 1834, served their first terms together in the lower house
of the legislature, and later he was a State senator. Joseph Duncan,
the successful candidate, was already in Congress. He was a politician
of influence. In 1834 he was a strong "Jackson man;" but after his
election as Governor he created consternation among the followers of
"Old Hickory" by becoming a Whig. Sidney Breese, who received only two
votes in the Clary's Grove precinct, afterward became the most
conspicuous of the five candidates. Eleven years later he defeated
Stephen A. Douglas for the United States Senate, and for twenty-five
years he was on the bench of the Supreme Court of Illinois, serving
under each of the three constitutions. For the office of Magistrate
Bowling Green was elected, but Greer was beaten. Both of Lincoln's
candidates for Constable were elected. John Armstrong was the man with
whom, a short time afterward, Lincoln had the celebrated wrestling
match. Henry Sinco was the keeper of a store at New Salem. Lincoln's
first vote for President was not cast until the next year (November 5,
1832), when he voted for Henry Clay.--_Note furnished by J. McCan
Davis_.]
_(To be continued.)_
THE LOVE OF THE PRINCE OF GLOTTENBERG.
BY ANTHONY HOPE,
Author of "The Prisoner of Zenda," "The Dolly Dialogues," etc.
I.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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