The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1857-07-25

Before the voting had commenced, the
Missourians said if the judges appointed
by the Governor did not receive their
votes, they would choose other Judges =
Some of them voted several times, chang
ing their hats and coats and coming up to
the window again. They said they in
tended to vote first, and after they had
got through the others could vote. Some
of them claimed right to vote under the
organic act, from the fact that their mere
presence in the Territory constituted them
residents, though they were from Mis-
souri,, and had homes in Missouri. 9th
ers said they had right to vote tecasise
Kansas belonged to Missouri, and peo-
pie from the East had Eo right to settle
in the Territory and vote there.
They said they came to the Territory
to elect a Legislature TO suit themselves,
as the people of the Territory ans! persons
from the East and North wanted TO elect
a Legislature that WOULD not suit them.
They said they had right TO make Kan
sas slave State, because the people of
the North had sent persons out to make
it a free State. Some claimed that they
had heard that the Emigrant Aid Com
pany had sent men out to be at the cleo
| tion, and they came to Offset their votes;
but the most of them made made no such
claim. Col. Young said he wanted the
citizens to vote, In order to give the cleo
ton some show of fairness.
The Missourians said there would be
| no difficulty if the citizens did not inter-
fere with their voting; they were deter
mined to vote peaceably, if they could,
but vote anyhow. They said each one Of
them was prepared for eight rounds with
out loading, and would go to the ninth
round with the butcher knife. Some of
them said that by voting in the Territory
they would deprive themselves of the
right to vote in Missouri for twelve months
afterwards.
The Missourians began to leave on the
afternoon of the day Of election, though
some did not go home till the next morn
/ ing. In many cases, when wagon load
voted they Immediately started for home.
On their way home they said that if Gov.
Reeder would not sanction the election
they would hang him.
The citizens of the town of Lawrence,
as general thing, were not armed on the
day of election, though some had re-
of the Missourians. They kept a guard
about the town the night after the cleo
| ton, in consequence of the threats of the
Missourians, in order to protect it.
The pro o-slavery men of the district at
tended the nominating conventions of the
Free State men, and voted for, and seeur-
ed the nominations of, the men they con-
| sidered the most obnoxious to the Free
| State party, in order to caase dissensien
in that party.
Quite "a number of settlers came into
the district before the day of election,
and after the census was taken. Accord
ing to the census returns, there were then
in the district 500 legal voters. Of those
whose names are on the census returns,
III arc found to be OH the poll books of
March so, 1855. Messrs. Ladd, Babcock
and Pratt testify to fifty five names on the
poll books, of persons they knew to have
settled in the district after the census was
taken, and before the election. A num-
Der of persons came into the Territory in
March before the election, from the North
ern and Eastern States, intending to set
tie, who were in Lawrence on the day of
election. Atthat time many of them had
selected no claims. and had no fixed place
/ of residence. Such were not entitled to
vote. Many of them became dissatisfied
j with the country. Others were disap-
pointed in its political condition, and in
the price and demand for labor, and re-
turned. Whether any such voted at the
election, it is not clearly shown; but from
the proof, it is probable that in the latter
part of the day, after the great body Of
Missourlans had voted, some did go to
, the polls. The number was not over fifty
|, These voted the Free State ticket. The
, whole number of names appearing upon
the poll lists is 1,034. After full exam
; iuat;on. we are satisfied that not over 23.
, of these were legal voters, and 802 were
, nonresident and Illegal voters. This dis
, triet is strongly in favor of making Kan
sas free State, and there Is no doub
) that the Free State candidates for th'
: Legislature would have been elected b,
> large majorities if none but the actua
settlers had voted. At the precedin.
election, iii November, 1854, where nom
but legal votes were polled, Gen. Whit
field, who received the full strength o
the pro-slayery party. got but forty-si,
!. votes.
c SECOND DIsTRIeF.-Bloofaingtoa.-0l
|, the morning of the election the judge
e appointed by the Governor appeared an'
|. opened the polls. Their names were Har
0 rison Burson, Nathaniel Ramsay and Ml
!, Ellison. The Missourians began to com
: in early in the morning, some 500 or GO
|. of them in wagons and carriages, and o.
; horseback, under the lead of Samuel
: Jones, then postmaster of Westport, Mis-
f souri; Claiborne F. Jackson and MI
It Steeley, of independence, Missouri The
S were armed with double barrelled gun:
n rifles, bowie knives, and pistols, and ha
g flags hoisted. They held a sort of an in
o formal election off at one side, at first fo
:. Governor of Kansas Territory, and short
Ii " afterwards announced Thos. johnson
IL ofShawnee Mission, as elected Governo
II The polls had been opened but shol
|. time, when Dir. Jones marched with th
e crowd up to the window, and demandc
d that they should be allowed to vote with
out swearing as to their residence. Afte
il some noisy and threatening talk, Gla
N borne F. jackson addressed the GROVE
o saying they had come there to vote; tn;
If they had right to vote if they had bee
g there but fiye minutes, and he was ne
f willing to go home without voting; whic
le was received with cheers. Jackson the
= called upon them to form into little band
d of I5 or 20, which they did. and went |
1t an OK wagon filed with guns, which WEI
d distributed among them, and proceede
l. to load some of them on the ground.
Ia pursuance of Jackson's request, the
lp tied white tape or ribbons in their butto
d holes, so as 70 distinguish them from ii
"abolitionists.s' They again demande
re that the judges should resign; and upo
j. their refusing to do so, smashed in ii
y window, sash and all, and presented the