Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1856-07-19
THE VILLAINY in KANSAS.

pointed by congress 10 investigate the frauds In
the Kansas elections, and invite the attention of
the readers of the TINES to its perusai. The
facts as they exist, culed from IN official source,
should be generally understood in order that our
citizens can act intelligently in the coming fall
canvass, and in order that many of the falsehoods
daily put forth by the Pro Slavery Press cap be
met and refuted. The present article demon
strates-
l. That there were = Is votes cast in the elev-
enth district, while there were but 36 inhabi-
tants in that district, includin. men, women and
children, and but Il voters. Of these but
voted, leaving 2sS non-residents. Mark this.
.. In the fourteenth district, the election was
controlled by the citizens of Buchanan County,
Missouri, who nominated and elected their own
Judges, one of whom was Col. John Scott, who
was then and is now Il resident of St. Joseph,
Missouri. lie claimed that the night before he
had engaged boarding in Kansas, and therefore
was citizen! Imm edatey after the election
he returned to Missouri and has ever since resided
there. In this district, of the 100 votes cast,
the Committee find 50 to he illegal
). The fifteenth district lies contiguous to
sourians from Platte city and Platte county
made their appe .rane", in wagons anl on horse
back, and insisted on their right to vote, on the
ground that they ID claims in the territory, al
though they resided elsewhere. No man was
challenge |, but some of the Free State men were
50 Disguised that they left the polls and did not
vote. Gs}' The MiSsourians publicly proclaimed,
IA. a. II. l.
Stare State. There were BOG votes cast in
this district, of which 2O6 at least, the Com
mittee deem were illegal, from the testimony be-
fore them.
/. In the sixteenth district Il political imp
meeting was held by the Missourians, who moved
in squads of tens and tiftccns, numbering seve-
raj hundreds in all. They brought their provis-
ions with them, and many of them were promi-
nent citizens of Missouri whose names have been
gwen to the Committee. They also avowed
their object in voting to be, to IN Ike Kansas Il
Stare State. They crowded about the polls, and
permitted only those who were favorable to their
candidates, to deposi: their votes. BIZ votes
were cast, of which not $50 were legal.
5. In the table which has been carefully pre-
pared by the Committee, it will be observed shat
at eighteen places where the elections were held,
1873 illegal votes were cast bv Mssourians,
who claimed residence simply on the ground of
their being in the territory. Under the circum-
stances the settlers took but little interest, being
scattered over n large extent Of country and en-
gagged in Developing their farms, but as soon as
the fact became known to them that systematic
course was being pursued to make Kansas a
Slave State, they became indignant, and acts Of
retaliation followed.
6. From another table we learn that in Febru-
airy, 1855, there were S,50l inhabitants in Kan
sas--242 slaves-l5l negroes-foreign born 400
natives of che United States 7,I6l-minors
3,469-voters 1905 females 1913 -malcs 5, lbs.
I. Immediately after the taking of the census,
the Governor issuel Proclamation for an cleo
ton to be held. prescribed the boundaries of
Districts, tn, names of judges, &c., but rs soon
as the fact became known the Missourians, ac-
ting, doubtless from instructions from their
" Blue Lodges" sent parties into every Council
District, and every Representative District III
the territory but one, and the men so sent con.
troled the elections. They were armed. carried
their own provisions, and marched into the terri
tory for the avowed design of making Kansas a
Stare State.
8. In the first district, the company who had
marched into the territory, were armed ard pro-
visioned. Their expenses were paid. About
1000 Missourians, under the command of Col.
Samuel Young, of Boon County, Missouri, were
armed with guns, pistols, we-knives, and had
tents, music and flags with them. They also
brought with them two pieces of cannon loaded
with balls. They first attempted to bride the
Judge of Election. in order to escape taking an
oath-failng in this, they threatened his life,
and as a consequence, he did not appear at the
polls the next morning. Volunteers were called
upon by Col. Young, to go into other districts
and control the elections. Several companies,
containing from 80 to 30 men each, were sent
to various places in the territory, and thus the
villainy that has crushed the Free State men, was
successfully carried out We request oar read
ers to attentvsly psruse this part of the Report,
and then ask their own hearts if the North will
submit any longer to such barb.trous acts from
Is Border Ruitians."
Q. Citizens Of the Territory were driven off of
the ground by Missourians. They chased and
attempeeu ~ SHoot d -lT. Dobus lHcy HrSu at MIN,
but he escaped by jumping of the bank of the
river. The Missourians voted several times, some
claiming that Kansas belonged to Missouri, and
people from the East had right to settle there.
They said they came to the Territory to choose a
Legislature for themselves-they had right to
make Kansas Slave State, and should do so.
Each one, they said, was s'prepared with eight
rounds without loading, and would go the ninth
round with the butcher knife" They further
added, "That if Gov. Reeder did not sanction
their election, they would hang him.''
Now ask the free men OF the North to
consider these things. This is the way Kansas
was to be subjugated to the Slave power-this
is the way honest men we're deprived of the cleo
tive franchize--this is the way land dedicated
forever to freedom was to be cursed with slavery.
Yet there are men even in this community, men,
bers of the church, ministers of the church, who
denounce us for asserting that these wrongs can
be no longer Tolerated that it is time for the
North to take a stand, and having taken it, main
tain it at all haSards. We ask again. Is there
u North?