The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1856-10-30
APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE.
State Election to be Contested.
FRAUD AND CORRUPTION EXPO
SEQ

You have fought most noble and glori-
Gus fight, and have maintained Your princl-
pies against an INSCRIPTIONS Toe, WITH gal
lantry that deserved success But You have
b. en- over powered, your rights trsmpled nm
der foot, Your pEincip pies and your leaders ,em M
porarily over whelned, by the most atrocious
frauds ever perpetrated against the purity OF
the ballot-box, unless i. be by the Border Rut-
fans in Kansas, and the balio:-box suffers in
California. From every portion OF the State
the intelligence thickens upon US, and the ev-
idence increases. showing most conclusivelv.
that the vote of the State has been decided
against you BY importalons of fraudulent vo
tiers from Ohio, Michigan, and more especial
" from Illinois and Kentucky. In all the
border counties of the two latter States. and
in other counties accessible By Railroad, the
vote has been enormously increased aud the
Old Line majorities largely augmented. The
aggregate vote of the State has been swollen
nearly fftv thousand since 1854. Much of this
increase has been owing to the vote of tran
sient laborers upon our public works, many OF
whom have not scrupled 10 commit the most
barefaced perjury to accomplish their design.
and to rob you of ghts solemnly guaranteed
to you by the Constitution OF your country.
These spurious and Illegal votes, by which
Old Lineism has achieved a temporary triumph
are believed to reach near TWENTY THOUSAND
in number, and have been given by men
whose names do not appear upon your tax
lists, who contribute nothing 10 the great in
terests of the country, and who have neither
habtatlon nor a name among you as citizens
So astounding is this fraud, So glaring this
corruption, that the Republican party have re-
solved to contest the validity of the elcton Of
the Governor and the entire State Ticket be-
fore the ensuing Legislature.
The returns in the office Of the Secretary of
State. so far as received. show the unprece
dened fact, that in four iths OF the State.
while the Republican vote has increased
twelve thousand over their poll of 1854, the
Old Line vote has been thus fraudulenlly in
creased ttoenty eight ha0us and over Its aggre-
gate of that year So in the Ninth and Etev-
enth Congressional Districts, where the vote
has been ascertained. it has increased, in each
about six thousand, which would indicate that
in two years the population Of the State has
increased more than quarter of million.
Every citizen knows that such is not, and can
not be the fact.
The result therefore of all our examinations
and information is such as TO confirm us in
the belief that, if the polls were purged of
fraudulent votes, our entire State ticket would
this day be successful by majority of more
than ten thousand.
What is now the duty of the Republican
party? We answer. to rally TO the polls de-
terlnined TO redress the outrages that haya been
committed upon Us. and to redeem the State
at the presidential election. For this purpose
we recommend the most prompt and thorough
organization. Let the County Central Com
mittees Immediately be set al work-call upon
the Township Committees. and delegate some
thorough, active Republican in every School
District, to visit every friend of our cause
and rally them 10 the polls. Letthe District
Committees return the names OF all illegal vo-
tiers to the Township Committees, and as far
/ --~ry ~, ---.- -t-~i f.~i.-i~l
Let vigilance committees be appointed at
every poll to guard the purity OF the ballot
box. Challenge every voter " no comes to the
polls who is not known to yonr committee.
Question him as to his residence and occupa-
ton, and let your Inspectors and Judges be
reminded that they have taken oath that
they aciN NOT knoaoingly permit any person
to rote cho IS nsot qaaAfed,' and that it is
their duty by every means in their power TO
guard against illegal voting Should an ille-
gal vote be cast arrest the offender at once,
and let him be visited with the extreme penal
ties of the law. Let the poll lists of the Oc-
tober election be copied. and let the names OF
voters at the November election be compared
Herewith. marking all nonresident or fraud
ulent voters.
! Let us remind all honest men tina. without
full recognition of the principle, that ma
lority of the legal voters of the State have the
right to dictate their choice. no Republica an
| form of government exist.
1t is evident that the contest in the State OF
Indiana will be between Mr.. Buchanan and
Mr.. Fremont, and We therefore call upon ev-
! cry man who opposes the extension Of slavery
! and who loves freedom-who desires TO right
+, the stupendous wrong, committed in the re
peal 0: the Missouri Comproua se-who is OPP
u, posed TO the outrages and crimes committed
/ against the Free Settlers of kansas-who is
in favor of the admssion of Kansas as a free
State, to rally to the support oil John Z. Ere
mont.
Freemen OF Indiana, This may be the last
opportunity offered you for years to come. 10
declare your determination at the ballot box
TO preserve the free institutions Of your coun-
try. The eyes of the civilized world are upon
you-the friends of Freedom, OF Justice, and
Humanity are looking to you. Let them not
be disappointed-let them rejoice a. your tri-
umph, and your postcrity through sueceedin :
j ages shall refer TO the camp ign of 1885, as
the era of the proude>t aud n5blest achievement
of the nineteenth century.
We have the mos: encouraging assurances
from every portion of tie STATE that the friends
of the Republican cause are arousing in their
might-the camp fires are burning brightly,
and the people are resolved as one man 10 carry
the State triunphan;ly for the republican can
didates in November. Guard the ballot box;
Ie. every man vote native or foreign, who IS
entitled 10 exercise the right Of suffrage; but
let it be your deep and settled determination
10 prevent At every hazard all Illegal voting.
Rally every Republican to the polls, and be
assured a glorious victory awaits
,JsJ. D DEGREES,
Chairman Zap. S.a-a Central Committee.