First Time Voter in 1850
Nov 8 – An ancestor gets to vote for the first time and writes a letter about his impressions.
October 8, 1850
Dear Cousin,
I voted today. At the ripe old age of 25, I finally got the opportunity to cast a ballot for the man who hopefully will represent our interests in the Senate. Since my father owns the farm, up until last year, when they passed that new law saying all men can vote, not just those who own property, my opinion hasn’t mattered. It is nice to be finally treated as a grown up, especially as I have to abide by any laws they make.
There were a great number of men on the ballot, 16 Whig party candidates and one Democratic. Though none were actually from Great Bend, there were a couple men from not so far away. David Wilmot, a member of the Whig party, has been a Congressman for the past several years. He lives over in Wilkes Barre and has a law practice in Towanda, which is in neighboring Bradford County.
Richard Brodhead, who spent many years in Congress was the only Democratic candidate. He was originally from Lehman Township, in neighboring Pike County, but moved a bit south to Easton, in Northampton County PA.
I know little to nothing about the other 14 men on the ballot. Though I have heard some passing comments about other political parties, I know little about them either. The new Constitutional Party, which supports of the Compromise of 1850 has nothing to do with us. Their concerns are about the new territories out West, where I never expect to go. The States’ Rights party is fighting for the right to own slaves. That seems a bit of nonsense to me. I don’t know anyone who has slaves. The Free Soil party is fighting slavery, again, not a concern hereabouts.
President Millard Fillmore, isn’t very popular these days, so some say that the Whig party is sure to get soundly licked this time around.
Voting was quite an occasion. Now that all men over 21 can vote, there was a crowd gathered to mark our choices and drop into the ballot box. A couple younger looking men had to have someone vouch for them, since the official was from out of town. I imagine we’ll hear the results in the newspaper in a couple weeks.
Yours,
Peter Smith