Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-07-16

Voters 1905
Minors, 1869
Natives of the United States,. 716I
Foreign Birth, 4O9
Negroes, l5l
Slaves, 2i2
Total. S5Ol
sOn the same day the census was completed,
the Governor issued his Proclamation for an
election to be held on the 30th of March, 4.
d. 1856, for Members of the Legislative AS
sembly of the Territory. 1t prescribed the
boundaries of districts; the places for.polls
the names of Judges; the appointment OF
members; and recited the qualifications of
voters. If it had been observed, a just and
fair election would have reflected the will of
the people Of the Territory. Before the elec
ton, false and inflamatory rumors were busily
circulated among the people of Western Mis-
souri,. The number and character of the cmi-
grafton then passing into the Territory were
grossly exaggerated and misrepresented.-
Through the active exertions of many Of the
leading citizens aided by the secret societies
before refer ed to, passions and prejudces Of
the people of the State were generally excited.
Several residents there have testified to the
character of the reports circulated among and
credited by the people. These efforts were
successful. Bt an organized movement which
extended from Andrew county in the north to
Jasper county in the south, and far east
ward as Boone and Cole counties, companies
of men were arranged in regular parties and
sent into every Council District in the Terri
tory, and into every Representative District
but one. The number were SO distributed as
To control the election in each district. They
went TO vote and with the ayowed design to
make Kansas slave State. They were gen.
orally armed and equipped, and carried with
them their own provisions and tents; and so
marched into the Territory. The details of
this invasion, from the mass of the testimony
taken by your Committee, are SO voluminous
that We can here but state the leading facts
elicited.'
At tho election thus ordered by Governor
Reeder, out of 1884 votes polled at Lawrence,
the Committee are satisfied that not more than
232 legal ones were pofled-leaying SO2 fraud
ulent.
At Bloomington, the Second district, there
hCIS u L NONSo tIichu, Va NliICl ou "tIc given
by citizens. At Tecumseh, in the Third from
200 to 225 citizens voted out of sos. OF the
legal votes cast the Free State candidates re-
ceived 152. In the Sixth district at Fort Scott,
of the $50 deposited, 100 were legal. In the
Seventh, 252 were given, only 25 of which
were from citizens; and % of these were cast
for niece the only Free State candidate run
ming. In the Eleventh, 32S votes were cast,
of which only were found in the regular cen
sus. In the Thirteenth, 269 were deposited
when there were only 96 votes in the District.
In the Fourteenth, only 200 out of 727 were
legal. There were All cast in the Fifteenth
Of which 80 were thrown legally. 964 were
given in the Sixteenth, and only $50 were le-
gal. In the Eighteenth, 62 votes, and only II
by residents.
The Committee report the following facts
not shown by the tables:
sOf the 2905 voters named in the census
roll, S31 are found on the poll books. Some
of the settlers were prevented from attending
the election by the distance Of their homes
from the polls, but the great majority were de-
tered by the open avowal that large bodies Of
armed Missourians wsuld be at the polls to
vote, and by the fact that they did so appear
and control the election. The same cause de-
tered the Free-State men from running can
didates in several districts, and in others in
duced the candidates to withdraw.
sThe poll books of the Second and Eighth
districts lost, the proof is quite clear that
in the Second district there were 80, and in
the Eighth district SO legal votes, making a
total loss of sos legal vsters of the Territory,
whose names are on the census returns, and
yet the proof, in the state in which we are o.
| bliged to present it, after excluding illegal
votes, leaves the total of 1910, showing dis
crepancy of 4l2. The discrepancy is account
ed for two ways-frst the coming In OF set
tiers before the March election, and after the
census was taken, of settlers who were omit
ted in the census; or secondly, the disturbed
state of the Territory while we were investi-
| pat,nr the elections in some of the districts,
| thereby preventing us from getting testimony
in relation to the names OF legal voters at the
time of the election.
| sIf the election had been confined to the ac-
tual settlers undeterred by the presence OF
| non-residents, or the knowledge that they
| would be present in sufficient numbers to out
vote them, the testimony indicates that the
council would have been composed of sever
in favor of making Kansas Free State, elect