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Show ' A POLITICAL TEXT-BOOK FOR 1860. nll chiltlrcn was 86, of whom 24 we r~ ~~et~~~~~;~h~ poll-lists in 'this Di:ltrict show tlu~tta~;g t at th is election For reasons s ~~~~~f~~ri~. ~~~ard ~0 the ~~c~~opnr·~~ut~~e ~ho;hn~{e~!1'~.~~~~ your Committee we• e una e , 1 records It or \Vitnesses from this District. t}t~o~~ ~~~ hllVe b~en clearly appe~rs that th~ voTtchs cba:stc test in tho absence by lnwfulre 1dent vote1s. e ' b f of direct proof, ~lY which to as~se:~~~~~ ti~~e ncue~s~;-r~ll legal votes cast, JS by a compan l t 1 ~i:f:le~~e s~t~i~-r~0~:ted~1a~~~~2~s ~to~~~:~~:: i~l~~~~llyluand (r;T~~~u~~~~~iro~ai~·the XIVth District was held at the htsste of Denjamln Harding, a few miles from tho town o . J oseph Missouri. Before t.he polls weJ'C ope~ed, n .larg~ numhe; of citi:~ens of llu ch:LIIan Oount.y, M•ssoun, lUll among them many of the lctLding citisen~ of St. Jo;el~h, were at the place or voting, ~ ml madelatn;ajborl~heo G~~~ om any pre~en t At tho t•n•e appo n el y ~rno~' for op~ning the poll~, two of t.he Judges were not there and it became the duty of the legal voters presen; to se'lect other judges. 'l'he judge who was present su estell the n:Lme of Mr. Waterson ns ?r:e of theJuug.es -~~t the crowd voted down the propOSitiOn. Sorne diS· cusaion then arose as to the right of non-residents t~ vot~ 'or j udgcs, during which lllr. Bryant wa~ nomlnCatf J a~c clectt!ll by the crowd. ome one nommated o • o In Scott as the other judge, who was then and is '_101V a resitleu t of St. J oseph. At that lime, he was the C1ty .Attorney at that place, and so continued until this sprmg, but he claime<l that the night before he hall co~1e to the house of l\Jr. Dt·ya.nt, and had engaged boardmg .for a month and consid ere1l himself a resident of Kans.l.s on that g:·ound. The judges appointed by the Oovemo~ refu, e 1 to put the nominatidn of Col. Scott to vot.e, bec.w~c he was not a resident. After some discusston, Judge Leonard, a citizen of Missouri, stepped forward an~ put the vote himself; n.mllllt·. Scott was declared by hun. a clt!ctt?d by the crowd, and served as a judge of electiOn th tl.t day. After the election wa~ over, he re~ur~ou.to St. J o~eph and never since has ruLdcd In the Ternto1y. It ts manlfest that this election of a non-resitlent lt~ wyer as a jutlge was impoc;ed upon the settlers by the citizens of t ho! State. When the board of judges wu!! thus completed, the votiog proceeded ; but the cfiect of t~e ~ule adopted by the judge allowell mn.ny, if not a HlfiJ Or~ty of the n onr esitlt! nts, to vote. 'riley claimed that thetr pr_esence on the ground, e!!pecially when they had a claun In the 'l'errlrory gave them a right to vol e-uuder. that construction' of tho Ia w, they readily, wl •en r ..:qu1red, S\~ore they were" residen t ~, " and then voted. Dy this eva.~•o~, as nearly as your Commii tee can al!certaln fr?m th~ tes.tlmony, as mnny as 50 illegal votes were cast m th1s D1s· trlet out of 103 the whole numl>er pollell. 1'he election 'in the X Vth J)istrict was held n.t Pense· lllun's, on Stranger Crctk, a few miles from Wcaton, Ml souri. On the clay of the elcct!.on, a large number of citizens of Platte County, but cl~1efl~ fn.>n1 Weston nnrJ Platte City c;~me in sm;dl partie~, 111 wag•>ns and on h or eback, t.o the poll>J. AniOilK them w~re ~everul lead. ing citizens of tlmt town, null the names of many of them nrc given by the ,,.itn eM~es . 'fhey generally insisted upon their right to vote, on the ground that every man having n claim in the Territory could vote, no matter where he lived. All v oted who ch~:;e. No. man was challengctl 01· sworn. Some of the :c:>ulents d1d not vote. The purpose of the !(tran ge rs iu v ot111g was cledured to be to make J(ansas a Slave State. We fintl hy thc poll-books that 306 votes were cast-of the5e we find but tH lire on the census-rolls as legal vot.as in Febr.uary following. Your Com 111ittee is saLislled fr0111 the test Hnony Lil!tt not over 100 of those who voted had any • ight so to llo,lcav. ing at least 2116 illq;n.l vot es cMt. The election in the X:Vlth District was held at Leavenworth. It was then u. small village of th~ce or four houses, located on the Del a wnre llcse r~ 1Ll1on. . There were but comparatively few settlers then 111 the d•strfct, but the number rapi<lly incrcast!tl a~t c rwaru. On the day before an<l on the dny or the clect•on.' a great many citizens of Platte, Clny :uHI Hay count1es cros~ed thl:! river-most of them camping in tents twll wagons about the town "like a cllrnp-mecting." 'l'hcy were In compa· nics or n;csses of ten to fifteen in each, :.tnli number~~ In all several hundred. The yhrought tltelr own prov1s1on and cooked it themselves, and wcrc generally armed. 1\Iany of them were .known hy the witnc8ses, anu their ntlmes given, 11nd the•r names arc fount! upon .the poll· books. Among them were several persons of lllfluenoe where th ey r eMi<led In llli ~sourl, who held, o~ had held, high omcial po~i tions in that State. 'J'hcy Clllllned to be r esidents of U1e 1'crrlt.ory, from the ~act that they were then present, and Insisted upon. I he l'l[:jht to vote, and did vote. 'l'heir n.vowed purpose 10 domg so WILl! to mako Kansas a Slave Stat.e. 'l'hese stran ge··~ crowded around the polls anti it was with great difficulty that the settlen coul1l get to the polls. One resident altempte<l to get to the polls in the afternoon, but was cr owded and pulled back. Hc then went out:lide of the cr owd a~d hurrahed for Gen. Whitfield, and some of those who ~:d not k_now him said," that'.:! a gooll Pro-Slavery man, a~d hrted him over their heaus so that he cmwl~::<l on the1r heads anti put in his vote. A person who mw from the ~olo r of his ticket tl n<t it WIL!! not fur G t~ n. " ' hitflel1!, cnt:ll nut, "lie is a. clnmuell Aholltloni><t- let him down;" arul they tlropped him. Others w..: rc pa ~~c~l to the pull~ In the same way, nntl others crowdc1l up 1n the hc~t W <~.Y thq could. Aft.er this mockery uf 1w cicl~tl"ll ~~' ''' ovt:r, P•e non-residents r eturned to their liOIIICS ill M i:i~ouri. or the 312 votes cast., not over 1~0 were by legal vuterd. Tl~e following abstract exhibits the whule numher of votes at this elect.ion, for each candidate; the number of legal and illegal votes cast in each district; and the num· ber of legal votes in each district in Jt'ebruary followln~ l .ABSTRACT OF CE~SUS AND ELECTION NOV. 29, 1854. - >. ~ ., ~ .n .n 0 Ill Ill ~ 'tl ci bo ~ ai 0 - !l PLACE OF VOTtM~ 'tl Q) Ill c 0 ~ Q) ,.,.. ·;:: ,_ ::l ~ 111m ~ <il C) ~ Ill c -Ill ~c -; bl) ·a: - ,!<1 c .... "' 6 .v bO ~ ..... :a "' Ill "' 0 ::lo ClJ "' r,; ~ ~ C) z ....:l >=< A C1.l E-< ------.. - -- -- ----- I Lawrence. ......••.......••..••....... . 46 188 rn 1~ 800 369 800 - II Douglas .•.....•...•. . ...•...•.......... 235 zu 6 - 261 1!)9 (l,') 226 IIIVI Stinson's. .. .•.. ....••.... • ...••...•.... 4H - 7 47 101 47 - Dr. Chapman's ......................... 140 21 - - 161 47 80 131 y II. Shermau's •....•... . ..••...•.. - ..... 63 4 1~ - 82 442 80 02 VI Fort Scott . ..•...••....•..••..•....•..•. 106 - - - 106 253 25 80 VII "116". ....... ........ ··········· .... 597 - 7 - 604 {>3 20 584 VIII Council Grove ....•..• . .. . •.......•...• 16 - - - 16 89 16 - IX Reynold's ..•.....•...•..••...•.•.•.... 9 - 81 - 41) 86 40 - X Dig Blue Cross • ..• •...••.•...•......... 2 6 29 - 81 68 87 - XI l\furysville ...•..•••.•.•.•••..••........ 281 - 8 5 24.5 24 7 238 XII 'tVarton's Store •..••......•• • .••.. . • .. . . 81 9 - 1 41 78 41 - Xlli Osawkie . . • . .• • ....•..•.•• . .••••• • •.•• . 69 1 1 - 71 96 71 - XIV Harcling's ......... . ............ . ... . ... 180 - 28 - 108 834 1oa 50 XV Pens e no ......•. .... ...... ......... ... 267 - 89 - 806 808 100 206 X VI Leavenworth ..••..•..•••.. . •.. .•. •.... 282 - 80 - 812 885 1~0 162 XVII l:!hawnee Agency . ..................... 49 - 18 - 62 50 62 - XVIII --------- --- -2-8 --- --- - - Total ..••.• . •.•.••.•• ......... ... .. 2268 249 806 21 2811 - 1114 1729 • BenJamin Harding. TilE KANSAS-NEBRASKA STRUGGLE. 91> Thus your Commlttte find that in this, the first c:lcr.tlon I by Colonel Young and others, calling f()r volunteers to go In the 'J'erritory, n Ycry l:~rge majority of the v otes were to other di:strictt! wl1erc there were not l\li!'sourlan., enough cast by citir.:ens of the ~tate of .!\lis ouri, in vioiRtion of the to control the election, as there were more at J .:LWrcnce organic law ()f tile Territory. Of the l~gal votes cast , than were necdctl therc. Many volunteered to go, arul Gen. Whitfield received a plumllty. 'J'hc settlers took the momlng of the election se,•cral companies, from l&ll to !Jut little Interest in the elcclion, 1101 one-half of them v ot- 200 men each, went otr to 'l'ccumsl'l•, Hickory Point, lng. 'l'his nwy be accouuted fur, f•·om the fact tht~t the llloomlngton, nntl other places. On the morning of the seltlemeni:-~ wt:rc sc:~ltet·..:d over a gre;tt ext ent--that ti1e election, the J\Jbsourlans came over to the !'lace of votinM term of the Delega te to he elected was short-:Lll<l that from their ca111p, in bodies of one Imndred :tt a time. !\Jr. ,be quest1on of Jt'ree :uHl 'lave ln~tituti ons was not gene- Blanton not appearing, another judge was llpJlOinted in rally reg1trde1l liy the1n n~ di:!tlu ctly. at i~~>uc. Under his placc:-Coloncl You•~g claiming that, a~ the people of these circnm~t:wce• , a ~ystemat i c lnvllsH>n from an the 'J'crntory had two Judges, It was noti.Ju•g more than adjoining Slrltt, by which large numbers of illegal v ote::; right that the Missourian.\! shoulu have thu other one, to wt:re ca~t in r elllo le and llparse seulements for the look after th eir interests; and ltobert K Cummins was avowed purpose of exteuding ~lavery iHto Ll1e Territory, elected in IJ!anton's stead, because lie com:iclcred that even though it did not change tl1e l't!Sult o ( the election, every rua.u had a right to vote if he had been in the Tcn·lwa~ a crllue of great mngnitudt!. Its im111e<.li a t.e dfecL tory but an l1our. '!'he Missourians brought their tickc~ was to fllrtll e•· I!XciLe the people of the Northern l;; tn.tes- with them· but not having enough, they h:ul three huninduce acts of retali;ttiorr, aud txal!pcratc the actual !Jet- dred more 1print~d in Lawrence on the evening before and tiers ngainst their neil(hbor.:l in 1\l i:>~ouri. the cJay of election. They had w!Jite ril.ihons In their but- In Janurtry anti ./.<'ebruary, .A.D. 15M, the Governor ton-holes t{) distinguish themselves from tl1c settlers. caused an enumeration to be takeu of the inhablta11ts and Wheu the voting commenced, ti1e question of the legality qualified voters in the Territory, an abstract of which is of the vote of a Air. l'age was ntis •d. Before it was de-here given: citled, Coloacl Samuel Young stepped up to the wiJ1dow ~·o tul popul1ttion ... ................. - .. ... 8501 where the votes were reccivecl, ant.! saitl he would settle 'J'otal vot.:rti .... .... ..... 29015 tlu' matter. 'l'he vote of Mr. Pa~e was withdrawn, and Natives of the Unit.ed States . ........... .. . 1161 Colouel Youns ofl'cred to vote. He refused to take the Of fordgn birth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409 oat.h prescribt!d IJy the Govemor, but swore l•e was a re~l- Sinvcs ......... .. . ............ . . . . . . . . . . 2.12 dent of the 'J'erdtory, upon which l1i!i vote was receivcu. ~·ree ncgrot>s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Ifo told .Mr. Abhott, one of thc judges, when a. ~. ked if IH:I On the same d:ty the cen!iu::; was completed, the Governor iuteuded to m:tke Kausas hi'i future hom<•, tlltLI. it wa.s Issued his proclamation for an election to be held ou the 30th none of his business· that if he were IL re~-.idcnt then ht~ of March, .1.0. 1 ')55, for meutl>ers of the J~eglslu.tive Ass em- should ask no n10re. 'After Ills vote waM recci l'erl, Colonel bly of the 'J'er rit.ory. It prescribed tl10 bouml;~ries of dis- Young got U!> in the window-sill and :wnounced to the trlcts, the plu cl!s for polls, the n;Lmes of j udges, the appoint- crowt.l that be had b een permitted to vote, a u tl they could mentor membl'tR, and recited tile qualil.ication of voters. If all come up and \'Otc. He told tl1e ju<lg ·s that there was It had been oh:;(•n •ecl, a just ;tnd falr election would lt<tve re- no usc in swearing the others, as they would all swear a.s fleeted the will of tl1e p eople of the 'l'erritory. Defore the h~ had done. After the other judges coucludcd to rcc<:in~ election, false and inll:tmmatory rumors were uusily circula- Colonel Young's vote, Mr. Abbott r~igned u.s judge or ted among the !Jl'Oplu of \\'P~lt'rn Mi. :~ouri. 1'he nurnuer anti election and Mr. Deujamin was elected in !Jis place. character of the emignLiion then passing into t!IC Territory 'J'he p~ll were so much crowded until I ate iu tl•e evening, were grossly ex:q;gc·rated and rubr~· prescntcd.. 'l'hrough the that. for :L time wlh.:n the mcu had voted, tllt'y were obll~ed active exertions of m:wy of its kuding citizens, aitlecl by to g~t out by b~ing hoisted up on the roof of the building the secret sodd ies before rcfcne<l to, the pa~ions and where the election was being held, an<l 1mss out over ll•e prejudices of the people of that Sta.te were greatly ex cited. house. Aftenv:trd a par 'ltge-wa.y through the crowd was Several residents there hrtve testified to Ute <:huracter of made by two lines' of men being formed, through which t.he report~ clrculu.tc<l among and credited by the people. t.he v~ters could get up to the polls. Colonel Young asked These c!forta were succes ·ful. Dy an orgaHized move- tl1at the ole! men IJe allowed to go up lirst and vote, as ment, which ext.en<led from Andrew County in the north they were tired with the traveling, and wanted to get back to Jasper Couuty in the south, and as far castw:trd as to camp. Doone and Cole couuti es, companies of men were arra nged 'J'ilc Missourians sometimes came up to the polls in pro-ln regular parties ttnd ·cnt into (!A)ery council di8tl'i1·t in ces~ion two by two and voted. the Terri/.o,y, aiL(t i lltll evel'?f1'epr~e,~ta,tive diiJtrict Durlr11g the day, tl1e Missourians drove ofl' the gro_u~d but one. 'l'he numbers were so distributed as to control some of the cl.tiz~nl! Mr .• 't •veus, 1\lr. llond, and l\Tr. W1llls. the election in each district. They went to vote, a.ud wit.h They threatened to' shoot Mr. Bond, oncl a crowd rusht:d the avowed dt•sign t.o make Kansas a Slave State. 'J'hcy after him threatening him; and, as he mn from them, were generally arme<l anrl e1luipped carried with them some !!hot~ were fired at him as he jumped ofl' the bank of U•ei~ own provisions and tents, aud ~ marched into the the river and made his escape. The citizens of the town Ternto~y. 'l'he details of thi') invasion from the lOilHS of went over in a body, late in the afternoon, when the polls the test11nony taken by your committee arc so voluminous had become comparatively clear, and voted.. · · · that we can hcrt: st.a.te but the leading facts elicited. The whole number or n11mes appearing upon the p(lll-lfsts Is 1,034. After full cxamituttion, we a.re satisfie1l thiLt not over 232 or these were legal voters, u.nd 802 were non-resident and lllet;al voters. 'l.'his District Is strongly in favor or rnakin~ l(a~ sas a l<'r~e ~tate, and there is no doubt that the 1! ree- tate can<.llda.tes for the legislature would have been elected by large mnjoritie.3, if none but the actual settlers had voted. .At the prececling election in November, 1~, where none ~ut lt·g:tl voters were polled, General \\ lutfield, who recc•,•ed the full strength or the Pro-Slavery part.y, got but 46 votes. lsr DISTR!CT-llf.utcu 30, 1S55.-L.HVR~I'CR. The company of p ersons who m:trched into this district collected in ~tay, Jfo1vard, CaiTOII, Boone, La F:~yette, Randolph, Saline, 11.1111 Cass counties in the State of MissourL 'l'heir expenses were paitl-'those who coultl not come ~ontributing Jll'O\•isions, wagons, etc. Provisions were deposited for those who were expected to come to Lawrence, In the house of William L.vkins, and were distributed among the Missourians after they nnived there. 'l'hc evening before and thc morning of the day of election, about 1000 men from the above counties arrived a t L:twrence, and encamped In n ravine a s hort diEtance from town, ncar the place of votiug. 'rhcy came in wagons-of which there were over one hundred-and on horseback, uuder the command of Colonel.lamuel Young of Doone County litissour[, an~ Claihorue 1<' • .T acksou, or' ~Ussouri. 'l'lley 'were armed wtt~ gun'!, rifles, pi~tols, and bowie-knives, and had tents, mus1c, nntl fl;tgs wit.h them. '!'hey brought wlth g•em two pieces of a rtillery, lortded with mu!Sket-halls. n their wa.y to Lawrence, some o! them met lllr. N. ll. ~!anton, who httd been a ppointed one of the judges of ~.ection by Govcruor ltceder; and, after learulng from um that he C()n ·iclered it his duty to cleruand an oath from ~hem as to their place or residence, first attempted to ~!be, and then thre:Lten ecl him with hanging In order to duce hln1 to dispense with that oatb. In ~ousequence ot these threat-l!, l.Je did not appear at the polls the next morning to !1-Ct as judge. AI The evemng before t~1c election while ln camp the Cl=rlans were called together at the tent of C:l);taln roc F. Jacksou, nud speeches were made ~ them no DISTiltCT-Dr.OOXINGTON. On t.h.e morning of election, the judges appointed by the Governor appeared anu opened the polil!. 'l'belr narnes were Harrison Durson, Nathaniel Hamsay, a~d Ilk Ellison. The Mi sourians began to come iu early m the morning some 500 or 6()0 of them, in wagons a.nd carriages aucl 'on horseback under the lead of Samuel J. J one:~,' then Postma.ster of 'westport, lllissouri, Cl~iborn~ .It'. J ackson, ancl lllr. Steely, or Independence, MtSS?un. They were armed with double-bnrreled f!Uns, ntles, howie-knives, and pistols, and had flags holl!~ed. They helll a sort ot informal election, ofl' at one S1de, at firs~ for Governor of l(ansas and shortly afterward announced Thomas Johnson of Sil':twnee ~liBSion, elected Governor. '}'he polls had bden opened but a short tim~, when Mr. J one.~ marched with the crowd U[> to the wmdow:, and dem:~.ntled tha.t they should be allowed to vote ~nthout swe1tring as to their re ideuce. After some no1sy and thre:ttening talk, Cl:tiborne F. Jackson addressed the crowd, saying they had come there to vote, that th~y had a right to vote if they had been t.hore but fh·e minutes. |