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About Oregon free press. (Oregon City [Or.]) 1848-1848 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 14, 1848)
OREGON FREE PRESS for TBS VOL.1.) WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1848. (NO. 28. "Here shall the Press the people's rights maintain, Unawed by influence, and unbribed by gain." TEH MS OF THE "FREE PRESS." One copy, per annum, (in advance,) three dollars and fifty cents, cash for six months, two dollars. Advertising. Each square, (12 lines or less,) first insertion, two dollars each subsequent insertion, one dollar. A reasonable deduction mide on yearly advertisements. Currency and produce taken at their cash value. A NEW PLAN FOIl ELECTING A PRESIDE N-1 I'o get rid of the intervention of nominating conventions and lo avoid the necessity of a resort to the house of repre sentatives, in the business of choosing a president, a plan has been suggested by Senator Benton, which he considers admirably adapted to the object in view as uell as easy aud excellent in itself. In this recent speech at Jefferson he thus sets it forth: "He had long since made known his opinion a di rect vote of the people, and no interventions of inter mediate bodies to nominate before hand, or to decide alternatively afterwards, was his plan. A vote by dis tricts, and a second election between the two highest, if. the first one failed, was the plain and obvious rem edy. A second election between the two highest would dispense both with a nominating convention, and a contingent resort to the house of reprcsenta !lr no matter houF auy candidates were in the first election if any one obtained a majority of the whole, then the elective principal was satisfied the majority to govern and the election was finished: if no one obtained such a majority then the first election to be held as a nomination of the two highest by the people, and the election to be held over again between those two. He wished the necessary reforms to be made in time; the constitution to be constitutionally amended, upon foresight and reason; before some vio lent shock should do mischief to the house of repre sentatives, or to the nominating convention. But ho was no architect of ruin; he did not pull down until he was ready to build up, he did not quit one shel ter, though defective, until ready to enter another. The two intermediate bodies which stand between the people and the object of their choice the nom inating convention and the house of representatives must stand as they are, though at the great risk of frustrating the popular choice, and bringing on a cri sis until the hard lesson of experience shall induce the people to supercede them by safe and belter institutions. Poor Fellows. "A printer and an editor," says the N. Y. Ledger, "were seen running at full speed through Broadway, uttering the most heart-rending cries. They stopped at Bloomingdale, and were asked what had alarmed them. They stated that each had ten dollars, and that Mr. Hitchcock, of the American Museum, hearing the fact, despached six strong men to se cure them as curiosities." Mesmerism Extraordinary. A few years ago, be fore the railroad company between Albany and Buffalo hail provided the long and comfortable cars now used by the Mail Agents, and Livingston and Wells, the Messenger of the latter, rode in the passenger car, 'just like any body,' and of course, encountered all sorts of characters. One of the firm, whose love of wag gery is well known, happened to be going to Buffalo, and was seated quietly in the car, when his atten tion was directed to th3 conversatien of two individ uals opposite. One of these two was, it appeared, a travelling mesmerizer a regular 'professor' of the 'science.' He was dilating upon its rapid develop in n I the vvonderlul phenomena it exhibited its as tonishing curative power for disease the extraordi nary discoveries developed through its agency, Final ly he got upon his own superiority as a 'professor,' a congenial theme and here he was at home. Af ter narrating a variety of experiments some of them astonishing of course he spoke of the following with a "gusto" that was irresistable. Said he: 'Last week 1 was going through the streets of this very city, (Rochester) and saw a man just ahead to whom t was anxious to speak. He walked too last forjne lo overtake him, without running, so $ just straightened out my right arm, concentrated my vviL?, made a 'pass' at him 'thus' and he stopped quicker than lightning.' 'Wh-wb-wh-vvby, mister y-you don't call that m-m-m-m-'cb of a tri-i-ick, do you 'Yes, sir, I rather flatter myself, sir, that It wu pretty strong demonstration.' 'W-vv-w well, it don't be-g-in with wh-whatl once did.' 4 'Then you are familiar with the science, sir I presume? 'S-s-s-some.' 'Might I inquire what was the case you spoke of?' G-c-c-cer-cerlaidly. Y-y-you see I h-h-ha'-appened to be up tiiere in Batavia once in the rainter. G-g-going down to the c-ars I saw a m-a-an on t-t-t-top of a building, sh-oveling off snow; pr-etty soon hisf-f-foot slipped and d-d-d-down he came; wh-wh-when he had got about h-h-alf way down, I jnst m-made a n-p-pass at him, and it st-opped him quicker than powder. 1 c-c-c-ame off wilh-o-out thinking more a-bout it. If you are g-o-ing to Batavia, I wish y you would just Met him down, for 1 pr-pr-pre-suma be is h-h-h-anging there yet. A Roaring Orator. Mr. President I shall not re main silent, sir, while 1 have a voice that is not dumb in this assembly. The gentlemen, sir, cannot expostulate this matter to any fuluro time that is more suitable than now. He may talk, sir, of the Herculaneum revolutions, whereby republics aro