The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1848-05-29
IOWA ELECTIoN-STRANGE DoINGS.

iowa lily, udteu on Tue IStu inst, 6i'es OH az
count of the official examination Of the vote
for superintendent of Public Instruction.
HARLAN and Benton were both present with
their counsel. The office was crowded with
spectators. Governor BRIaes was the presid-
4 ing officer. The Secretary of State announced
that the Board was organized, and would pro-
coed to business. A bundle of papers suppos-
ed to contain an unseen transcript Of the vote
in the several counties, was presented by the
Secretary. But the papers were discovered to
have been previously opened, refolded and fill
ed, in regular order. The Secretary also pre-
sented an abstract of the entire vote of the
the State, which he said he had previously
made out, and believed to be correct.
The correspondent proceeds:
AT the first glanc. we perceived that no less
than six columns we're used in noting the vote
for Benton and Harlan: one for Thomas III.
Benton, one for james Harlan, James Harland
James HARLEM, lanes Harlin. James Harlan.
THE appearing TO have been crossed In the
returns from Washington county, The re
turns were then taken up, one by one, exam
lined, and declared correct, noted on his gen
Ieral abstract, and laid aside by the Secretary
He here announced that he had received dou-
BILE returns from some of the counties. MIR.
Harlanis counsel inquired the cause. He re-
lplied that the first returns received had been
found informal, and that he had written for
others, which he had accordingly received.
As this farce of an examination proceeded
the nounsel for Harlan protested against regard
ing each variation in the orthography of his
name as the name of distinct person. But
the Board insisted that the strict letter of the
record must be abided; that il the Commits
sioners' Clerks had written the name H-a-r.
Lam, lin, or land, they had no power to
say Harlan was meant; that if they, 1.-THE
CleTks) put In the name, the Board had nc
right to call it |. The counsel for Harlan Their
insisted that the same rule should be applied tt
Mr.. Benton. That as some of the counties re
turned voted for Thomas II. Benton, jr., anC
others for Thomas H. Benton, double col
umn should be opened and each variation re
garded distinct person. But here the
Board Of canvassers decided that but one per
son was meant, and that all such votes shoulc
be counted for him. Thus fatty violating tn,
rule in reference to Benton, which they ap
> piled with unyielding tepacity to MIR. Har
. Ian.
Harlan's counsel moved to reject the return,
from one county, because it was illegal; tn,
paper showing OH its face, that the Commits
sioners' Clerk had clearly violated the law reg
Rlating his duty: and also because it was
false transcript of the record of the county frou
which it came. But this motion was overrul
, ed. 1t was moved to correct the return from
ano'her county, because it was fatty false; re.
turning the vote of what purported TO be two
precincts that are neither in the county, nor in
any county attached thereto for election purpo'
SEES; which the mover stood prepared TO prove
But this motion was rejected. 1t was then
moved TO correct the return from another
county, because 1t contained fewer votes fol
! Harlan than he had received; and in PROOF
, prayed leave to present the testimony Of the
4 officers of the tow nship and county where the
vote was passed: But this was also denied.-
1t was then moved to reject the return from an
other county, because there had been no legal
election held; the election not having been adj
pcrtiscd as the law directs, the judges and
clerks of the township not having been sworn,
and their returns not having been certified 10
as to their correctness; and as proof the ev-
idence of the Commissioners Clerk was Of
fered with the broad seal of the county. But this
was likewise rejected.
And now, Messrs Editors, what is to be
said of these strange proceedings? OF this
liable violation of iaio of justice, and of du-
ty! The law says that at the end of forty days
the Secretary shall proceed TO open these re-
turns in the presence of the Governor, If said
returnsa are not sooner received, shall examine,
&c. We would have expected then that a
sworn officer Of State would have regarded the
seal as sacred until the appointed day, and
that ifany return should have been opened by
accident, il would have been carefully laid
away, and as soon as its contents were known
unexamined and unadjudiUated. But what
L. h.
4 lips of the Secretary himself, that he had re-
ceived, opened, examined, counted, adjudicat-
ed and condemned returns in advance OF The
day appointed by himseffor said examination,
as the law directs, in presence OF the Govern
or-to which examination he had notified the
Il parties interested to attend; that he had not
only thus violated the law aud his duty, in ope
ming, examining and counting, adjudicating
and condcmning some of these returns, in the
absence of the Governor an6 all the parties in
/, terested; but had also sent and written to
counties for amended returns according to his
Town caprice. And after these second returns
were received, again constituted himself a
: board for re. examination; had completed the
J whole labor, made out abstract and filed away
{ the papers. AT this stage of the game we were
invited 10 see the returns opened and erdmin-
, ed in the presence of the Governor
If Mr.. Harlan could have been heard, he was
prepared to prove that he had received clear
majority over Benton fall the votes polled in
; the organized counties in the State and terrific
ry attached thereto for election purposes, and
besought the Executive and Secretary leave to
do so. But this reasonable and just request
was denied. The case was predctermincd!-
, And now that he is clearly elected second
time to this office, BY majority of the voters
of the State-and if we say legal voters, by an
Overwhelming majority, still another will be
declared the successful candidate-will, proba
bly,, in our corrupt times, receive the honors
and emoluments Of the Office.