Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-04-30

IOEuSF bi1GHg OCt NicdA-
ly set forth in statement presented 10 the
COMMITTEES on Elections by Ex-Governor Rec
der Of Kansas. Let every ono read it. Ho
proceeds to state the facts which he stands rsa-
dy to prove, as follows:
seThat Immediately before the 30th day Of
March 1855, being the day fixed for the elec-
ton Of q Legislature for the Territory ofkan-
sas, large bodies of men without pretensions
Of residence in the Territory, Gang over from
the neighboring counties of the state Of Mis-
souri,, armed and organized into companies,
with their proper leaders, and supplied with
provisions, fodder, accommodations for camp
ing, ammunition, and in one case at least, wlth
artillery. That they marched into the 4errl-
tory with banners and marshal muSjo ana en-
camped in parties in the ylcinity OF different
election polls shortly before tile said election,
/ for the purpose of preventing the people OF
the Territory from Oiecting Members of the
| Legislative Assembly as provided by the Act
ofCongres-, of taking the power into their own
| bands and by intimidation or violence taking
possession of the polls, and themselves going
through the form of electing Members Of the
Legislature; some of whom. thus elected,
were non-resdcnts of the Territory.
:That the country having been recently set
tied, and the people as yet few and sparse and
comparatively unknown to each other, unorga-
nized, and unproyided with resources of any
| kind, were ofcourSe compelled to submit.
s.That in the First Election District there
were from six hundred to one thousand of
these invaders on the ground, who declared
that they came TO vote and would vote at all
hazards of life and property, and accordingly
did vote, outnumbering the inhabitants, and
by their violent conduct lettering them from
voting.
'.That in the Second Election District par
| " OF several hundred of these persons, on be-
ing refused leave to vote without tcstifying to
their residence, made AN effort TO demoIish
the house in which the election was held, and
finally, by threats and violence, drove the
Judges from the ground and substituted others
from their own body, while the actual residents
Of the district generally retired to their homes
and declined voting.
'sThat in the Third Election District sever
al hundred Of them took possession of the polls
| with similar manifestations of violence and
intimidation, substituted election officers from
among themselves and took the entire control
80 --i--~s'asi- the inhabitants retiring from
| the ground
''In the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Seventh
Election Districts, similar bodies Of men APP
/ peared at the polls with more or less of mill
/ tary organization, and more or less of intimi-
dation and violence; in each case voting for
! Members of the Legislature as though they re-
sided in the Territory, and producing a result
! different from that which would have happen
cd if the elections had been controlled by the
I qualified voters of the districts.
s.Tha. in the Sixteenth Election District the
election was controlled by a large number of
non-residents, some of whom had come in or
ganized and armed day or two before the C.
/ lection, and established themselves in camps
near the polls, and who returned to their homes
/ in the State of Missouri immediately after the
! election and some Of whom had come from
/ Platte County, no, by the steamboat in the
/ forenoon, voted, and returned hsme By the
/ same boat in the evening. And thus over e
( leven hundred votes were polIcd, Of which not
over three hundred were cast by acturI inhab
tants Of the Territory. In the Thirteenth l.
/ lection District very few, il any, Of the actual
inhabitants participated, in consequence of the
/ presence Of 4 large body OF strangers, who took
/ the control OF The election and poled nearly
/ The entire vote.
lin the Eighteenth, "a small district Of some
( twenty or thirty voters we'll armed body Of
/ strangers appeared on the election ground, to
the number Of about sixty, who voted, and
Immediately after took UP their line Of march
/ out of the district, aud toward Missouri, their
leader being the Hon. David L. Atchison. In
/ the Eleventh, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Elec-
/ tion Districts, the undersigned will endeaVor
( to prove, and believes he can prove, similar
Illegal voting.
Son the day fixed for passing upon the
turns OF these elections, to wit, the 9th day of
/ April, complaints were made to the Governor
from some of the districts, setting forth these
facts, and there appeared to be defects in some
of the returns. Seven of the said districts
were set aside, and in the remaining cases the
returns being in form and no complaint being
made OF Illegal votes, as provided in the Pro-
clamation, certificates Of election were granted
according to them. The facts in regard to the
uncontested districts have come to the know
ledge of the undersigned since that time, and
he has also learned that the reason why the
same were not contested was, that the inhab
itauts were prevented by intimidation and fear
ofejdry to life property from doing so, con-
sidering it unsafe to assume the position of
contestants. One gentleman, who was active
in getting up contest in the Sixteenth Dis
trict. and who made affidavit to thc conlDIaint
was, after much denunciation, forcibly seized