Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1848-09-13
From the Iowa State Gazette.
A CARD.

name OF William Pickett who has had tn,
hardihood to charge me with having offer
ed money to certain person to procur,
the Mormon vote for the democratic part,
at the late election the publication Of thi,
charge in the shape Of editorials, by Ed
wards Of the ssHawkeye" and Howell q
the ''Des Moines Valley Whig,' in thei
respective papers of the oath and 18th in
slant, with additions, amendments, ant
cowardly insinuations peculiarly their owl
are Of SO serious character, notwith
standing the source whence they emanate
as to require some public notice at m,
hands.
Howell in his article on the subject o.
the Mormon vote at Kanesville, says: tina
General Dodge in public speech at Ed
dyville threatened the wing candidate fol
Senator with this "Western thunder" (tht
mormon vote.) This is untrue. In the
course Of my speech, as Presidential
Elcctor, | read from the proceedings ofth,
Philadelphia Convention the remarks o.
Messrs. Tilden, Campbell, and other whie
delegates from Ohio,most bitterly denoun-
cling the nomination Of Gen. Taylor, ant
this, REMARKED, did to prepare my whia
friends for little Of that Western thunder
Of which thoughtthey would hear a good
deal about the 7th of November next.
Learning from DR.. Norsler, the wing
candidate for Senator, that this portion Of
my speech was understood by him as hay
ing reference to the Mormon vote; I, in
private conversation, Che introducing the
subject, told him that it had no such mean
ing, but was intended for Ohio and not
Iowa. | never alluded to or thought ofthe
Mormons during my speech. / did not
then know that they had any precincts
amongst them, and received the first def
mite information ofthat fact from DIR. Nors-
Ter, who should have defended nae from
the charge here made.
Howell again says: "Then Dodge and
his coadjutors began to cast round for some
way to get rid of it, 1.-THE Mormon vote. |
First thousand dollars was offered 10 a
man Of influence among the Mormons if he
could succeed in neutralizing the yote.''
Edwards says: Gas late as the barba-
cue at Monterey in Lee County, short
time before the late election, while Messrs.
Dodge, j. c. Hall and other leading loco
focos were present this same man was Of
fered thousand dollars to use his inilu-
ence in obtaining the Mormon vote. He
was also furnished with money at various
other times to effect the same purpose, and
pay his travelling expenses. This cannot
be successfully denied by the leading loco
iocos." | am a iocoioco without the pre-
fix 'leading," and am one of the persons
arraigned by these Immaculate editors and
their compeer Picket, before the people Of
Iowa and accused with using and attempt
ing to use large sums Of money to secure
the Mormon vote for the democratic par
ty. The accusation so far as am con-
cerned, | unqualifiedly and Indignantly
pronounce TO be wholly and basely false
in every point and particular, and as far as
my knowledge of the conduct of every
democrat or locofoco during the late can
vass and election extends, it is equally
destitute Of truth. Edwards and Howell.
because of personal and private sriefs,
which they have never had the manliness
to attempt to redress, have ever been my
ready defamers. Strangers themselves TO
every honorable impulse that actuates the
bosom of a gentleman, they suppose in
others the same dishonesty which they
know themselves to practice. They have
made these charges against me upon the
hear say statements Of refugee from JUS
tice who fled some time since from Nau-
VOC, where there are, as am credibly, in
formed, several indictments now pending
against nm for criminal oiIences-a paid
scoundrel and scavenger who has been re-
gularly employed by the hog drivers, not
the respectable portion of the wing party,
to do their dirty work; wretch stepped
in crime and bloated with drunkenness
yes. he, and none other, is their 1ast and
willing witness, and Almon w. Rabbit,
Esq, Of Nauyoo, is the gentleman whom
he, Pickett alleged be heard say So
Well we shall see, when Mr.. Babbitt is
brought upon the stand, as / shall bring
him, towhat villanious extent these men
have gone in their work of SANDER and de-
famation.
II was on the evening of the 10Th ult.,
that | received the first intelligence of the
statements Of this fellow, Pick
EFT. II came to me in letters from my two
esteemed friends, Robert Cock and Ste
phen Roberts, Esqs. of Wapello county.
Mr.. Roberts wrote thus:
"EDDyvILLE, Iowa, Aug II, 1913.
DEAR Sir IL write 10 inform you that there
has been a great deal of excitement here about
the Mormon vote. Pickett, the Mormon leader
has been here making charges against you, of
which we wish to let you know, that you NAV
have an opportunity to defend yourself. The
following is, as near as may be, the statement
which he has made. Pickett said that Babbitt
told him that yo,, and Rabbit were coming from
St. Louis on a steamboat, and that you. sold him
(BabbitO that he and Pickett could have their
nests well feathered if they could secure the
Mormon vote; that You had the power to organ
ize them any time, but they could not be organ
ized unless they would vote democratic. That
he (B.) would give him (p.) letter to you and
that you would empower him to organize provi-
ded they would vote democratic; and that he,
(Pickett) could get five hundred dollars from
cit SAID he took the letter TO you intending TO
play the game on you; that he presented the let
Ter to you and that you went to the Supreme
Judges, (their court then being in session. in
troduced him and talked the matter over. AZ
ter which he was informed that Judge Carleton
was gone from home, and that he could not get
he, 30 1 ii l.