Final answer:
The Lecompton Constitution was seen as a sly maneuver because it offered a choice that still protected slave property, essentially promoting slavery under the guise of both options presented to Kansas voters.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Lecompton Constitution was considered a sly maneuver because of its deceptive offer regarding slavery in Kansas. This constitution presented voters with a seemingly democratic choice, but in reality, it was a strategy to promote slavery.
Although it gave the illusion of a choice between a constitution with slavery and one without, both options ultimately protected slave property, which meant that slavery would prevail regardless of the choice made. Free Soil residents denounced this as the "great swindle," seeing it as a manipulative attempt by pro-slavery forces to secure their interests under the guise of democracy. The incident exacerbated tensions between the North and South and ultimately contributed to the fractured political landscape that led up to the Civil War.