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THE

HONEST AMERICAN VOTER'S

LITTLE CATECHISM

FOR

1880.


BY

BLYTHE HARDING.


Copyrighted, 1880.


NEW YORK:

John Polhemus, Publisher, 102 Nassau Street.




PREFACE.


I was invited the other day to take down, as Stenographer, what
purported to be a discussion upon some general political topics, and
more especially on the forthcoming presidential election. One of the
disputants entrenched himself in what, I believe, scholars call the
Socratic method, that is, he _pumped_ his supposed antagonist dry.
Whether the world at large may think the dialogue as funny as I did
myself, I can form no opinion. It is to solve this question that I
give it to the public.

BLYTHE HARDING.

NEW YORK, _August 31st, 1880_.




THE DIALOGUE.


What is a republic?

--A state, or Union of states, in which the people holds supreme
power.

How does the people exercise this power?

--Through men elected for this purpose.

What are these men called?

--Senators and members of Congress or Congressmen.

Is there a head or chief in a republic?

--Certainly.

What is he called?

--The President.

Must the President be elected?

--Yes, by the people.

Who declares the voice of the people in this matter?

--The electors of the different states, appointed to do it by the
people.

Is it necessary that the whole people should agree on one man in order
to elect him?

--No; it only needs a majority of the nation, voting