White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1857-11-05
To tie People Of Kansas /:


LrconProS, Oct. 10, 1887.
By the 32d Section Of the Organic Act estab-
fishing this Territorial Government, it is provi-
ded in reference to the election of a Delegate to
Congress, that "the person having the greatest
number Of votes, shall be declared by the Gov
ernor 20 be duly elected, and a-certiGcate there
Of shall be given accordingly"
By the 18th Section of the act of the Terrific
rial Legislature of Kansas, entitled can act to
regulate elections" it is made the duty Of the
Secretary to examine the returns in the presence
of the Governor, and to "givs to the persons ha-
wing the highest number of votes in..their re-
spective districts, certificates of their election to
the Legislative Assembly"
Under these two provisions Of the laws pre-
vailing in this Territory, the recent general
election has presented for the joint consideration
of the Governor and Secretary, question of the
gravest importance, not only to cur own people,
but also to those of the whole Union. This
question ari- es upon the extraordinary returns
made from the precinct of Oxford, in the County
of johnson. What purpOrt to be the returns
made Of the election held at that precinct, on the
5th and 9th inst, have been received by the Sc
cretary, containing sixteen hundred and twenty
eight names of pretended voters, or nearly one
half the number given in the whole Representa-
tive District. The disposition to be made of
this supposed vote is rendered all important by
the fact, that the political character of the Leg
.sla Aaaaunhlw ill ha ~ r. 4
dition of three Couneilmen and eight Represen-
tstVes to the strength of one party or the other,
according to the adoption or rejected of the re-
turns in question.
In point of fact, it is well known, that even
the whole County of Johnson, comprising, as it
does, part of an Indian reserve, which, upon ex.
animation of the law, we find is not yet subject
to settlement or presumption, can give no such
vote as that which is represented to have been
polled at this inconsiderabls precinct of Oxford.
But while this unofficial knowledge, well estab-
lished and universal as il may be, could not be-
come the ground Of decision and action upon
election returns, in themselves regular and su-
thentic, the legitimate effect Of an apparent
enormity, such as that in question, would neces-
sarily be to induce close examination of the
paper presented, and to require for its accept
ance perfect compliance with all the essential
provisions of the law. Such an examination Of
this document, conscientiously and impartially
made, has brought US to the conclusion that the
returns from Oxford precinct, in Johnson COun-
ty. must be wholly rejected, for the following
reasons:
1st. It does not appear on the face of the doc
ument presented 10 US, or in any other manner,
that the Judges Of Election took the oath impe-
ratively required by the statute, to secure the
Impartial discharge Of their duties according
to law"
ID. It does not appear that the paper present
ed to Us was one of the original pOll-bOoks kept
at the election, as required by law; but, on the
contrary, it does appear, from unmistakable in
tsrnal Evidence, that the paper il either 8 copy
Of some other document, or has been made up
for the occasion, and ID NOT the genuine record
Of the votes taken at the election. The law re-
quires one Of the poll-books 10 be returned to
the Secretary, and the other to be deposited
with the Clerk Of the Board of Commissioners
Of the proper County.
I'd. As the vote of each elector was 10 be re-
corded for each one Of twenty-five candidates,
and in more than hundred cases, for twenty
Eve, and that By . Ui0a poee vote, It was phys
zeal inpossibility that the number of votes pre-
tended TO have been taken on the second day,
being more than fifteen hundred, With the name
Of the voter written, and each Of the twenty-five
candidates properly designated, could have been
taken and recorded within the time prescribed
by Law.
4th. Il is an extraordinary fact, tending to
throw distrust upon the whole proceeding, that
ofthe sixteen hundred and tWenty-eight votes,
only one is given to the Delegate elect to Con-