Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1857-10-30

CoMrLicrr c. Gov wALkn N sHs RtnUTIos
VNAUnA

Among the multiplicity Of reports hourly
reaching M Of frauds in the late elections
the interference Of the Missourians, soldiers
voting, and other grave charges against
Gov. Walker. We have thought it but Just
TO the Governor aud the public that we
should enquire into them, and give our rea.
ders the result Of our own investigations.
Our purpose has been to arrive at the truth
not 10 shield the Governor. or any Terson
acting In concert with him, from deserved
censure
The first charge against Gov Walker re
presents that he had labored to induce
| Missourian by the name Of Herndon to vote
| at kickapco When we heard the report
we pronounced it false, because We felt it
was in violation Of his instructions, from the
President, and diametricaliv opposite to oil
his pledges made repeatedly to the Free
state party aud the public generally, and
his expressions to US personally. While at
iecompton the other day. We Glanced to
meet Lieut. Carr. Of the U. s. army, gen.
tIeman from New York, Of unimpreachable
integrity. and u personal acquaintance Of
ours. Lieut.. Carr, We believe, is the Aid
of the Governor, and has generally accom-
panied his Excellency on his tours through
the Territory. The Lieutenant states that
| he was with Gov. Walker at Kicka,,oo and
| that he was present at the interview with
! the Governor and Herndon. Gov. w. -
quired Of Mr.. II. il he had voted The lcs
ter replied that he had not, that he was a
resident Of Missouri. Then, said the Cover
nor, you have no right to vote. This ex-
preston Is in keeping with Gov. Walker
action and advice in regard to the foreign
interference in our elections, and agrees
with his late address over his own sigma
ture, and TO the fact that in carrying out
the spirit Of his address he had placed
troops, at the instance Of the Free State
party, at five points in Kansas, contiguous
10 the Missouri line, to prevent frauds upon
the citizens, and particularly against voting
by Missourians II will be seen, then, that
the above story is wholly false, and If re-
ported, was gotten up for effect.
| Let US state here, that we were informed
weeks ago by the pro slavery men, and by
persons from Leavenworih and other places
around the border, that immel .ately after
the October election u concerted movement
would be made by the pro slavery party TO
get rid Of Coy. Walker This information
we have communicated repeatedly to
| friends aud to the Governor himself Of
course we have no know ledge Of the mode
of attack but We felt confident that il
would be made We firmly believe that il
Mr.. Herndon. or any other men, are making
such gross representations against GOV. w,
they are doing IL tor effect; that it is pal
OF the great plan for getting his Excellency
| out of the way; and that they are labOrlny
to make cats paws OF the Fee State party
in their dirty work, and from present ap
peai ances IRE hkely to be quite successful.
The Pro-slavery arty in the past have MT
| hesitated to resort to fraud and falsehood
and even pr,Jury To carry out their ends.
| The tendency of their late gross ,ia,lds Ia 2
| not been To give them u better character.
We would earnestly caution til. pubic that
they be not too nasty IN condCmning the
| Governor on flying rumors ana newspaper
reports; nor even volunteered and extra
judicial afhdayits; for good men hare been
he'd down. and others may be. There is
danger Of striking down our best friends
when we allow such lnstrumentilities to be
employed successfully IN crushing them.
IL Is stated that n large number of | ;.
troops voted under Gov. Wake. : direction
at kickapoo, aud the Leav euworth Inn,
devotes column and half To that subject
Let as state the facts AS We understand
| them:
When. Gov. Walker wrote his late nd
dress to the people Of Kansas he had been
eohtended first, that no person could vote
at the recent elections without having paid
nj tax The Pro-Slavery grand Jury. at Lee
compton, sone two months ago. had so de
cidei IN their letter to Judge Cato he con
CURED most fully IN that opinion. Attorney
-
General Wicr eoincided in an elaborate mr.
gunent. Uudcr this otm.dahlc weight OF
authority Coy w. nd.,rr~~.i he Govern
ment at Washington. stating most emIhati
caily has opinion that the people could vot,
without the payn.Lt of this tax and hi
! determination to act Oh that opinion, will
the view, however, TO give additional fore,
to his own views, he requested those of Tia,
, President and Cabinet Now 1t is NANTES
that if the authorities had not concurre
with Coy. w in his views, they must have
recalled him. and, therefore, he put his of
flee and position at stake on this question
for the benefit of the people of Kansas, bu
) most fortunately the question was strong
ly and earnestly argued 10y the Governo
that the President; and all his Cabinet-a
he tells us in his late address-endorsed hi
opinion and if the peace of Kansas ha
been reserved, and the people have electe,
their Delegate 10 Congress and their Terri
torial Legislature, aud shall for the hrs
time obtain control of their own affairs, W,
owe il most distinctly to this very Just ne
: on the part OF the Governor.
| Now that the Governor should set nbou
to destroy the work Of his own hands seem
incredible What is the evidence to tn
: contrary 1t is said that the Governor in
terfcred 80 far rs to direct the troops. n
stated above, to vote at kickapoo agains
; the Free state party We would here ask
inasmueh as Gov W. had 1000 troops un-
I der his command. why he did not Undue,
| them al To vote, instead of the forty. as al
legged at kickapoo only Now we believ,
= the facts Will turn out to be substantial " "a
follows: When Gov. W. was preparing hi
address as to the qualification of voters, tn,
, hrst question which naturally presente,
itself to his consideration was this: \,
the organic act permits the Territorial
Legislature OF Kansas TO prescribe the qua
lihcation of voters ut every election but tn,
first. does the proviso or the organic act
prohibit soldiers and persons attached t,
, the army "by the reason of their bring o,
serricc herein" from voting at the first. oil
all subsequent elections? The ques ion wa.
, decided in our favor, as his address full,
shows.
Now the Territorial enactment of Feb %
81, declares that al citizens of the United
states, who had resided in the Territory sA
months before the election. and none other
shall he permitted to vote" The question
how was this organic law to be reconcied
with the Territorial act on this yoint ",
understand tina, they were reconciled thus
that soldiers and persons attached to tn,
army could not rate by reason Of then
being On service therein nj i they poses
sed all the qualiii atoms of voters i,dtpen
dsnt Of such service, aud were citizens of til,
United states, and had bona ute residene,
OF SIX months next preceding the election
in the Territory, had right to vote, under
the Territorial law. That is. if a soldier
teamster or mechanic resides with his fami
ly in Missouri. he Should not vote bv reason
Of his being on service here; but If s.cl
soldier, teams.er or mechanic was u bon.
tide resident here. Independent OF such sci
vice. especially ii prior to his enlistment, "a n,
had no other residence but this for the 81,
months next proceeding the election, he ia,
u right to vote not as a soldier but as a res