Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1857-11-06
From the Baltimore Sun.
Affairs Kansas

on Tuesday, announced the fact cha: Coy.
Walker and Secretary Stanton. OF ksts-
sas, had made an investig alton Of the re-"
turn of the late election in Johnson coun-
ty, and had determined to reject the en-
tire vote Of Oxford precinct, (returnsd as
1898 for the pro. slavery ticket, and to
give the certificate of election to the free
State candidates. thus ensuring that par
~ a majority in both branches Of the Lee
EislatuTe. ; AS this action on the part Of
che Governor and Secretary has caused
much excitement in Kansas, aud is des>
tined to attract no little attention through>
out The country, We subjoin their procla-
nation setting forth the facts in the case.
Il was issued after the reception Of q
strong protest from several citizens Of
Johnson county against the legality Of
the returns:
..-.. Proclamation.
LEcoMproE. Oct. 18th, 1857.
To the people OF Kausas:-By the SGD
section Of the organic act establishing this
territorial government, it is provided in
the election Of a Delegate to Congress.
that - the person having the greatest
number OF votes shall be declared by the
o6 ouI1 ClCCkGuS duo O O0lGlN
fcate thereof shall be given accordingly"
By the 10th section Of the act OF the
Territorial Legislature Of Kansas, entitled
" An act to regulate elections. it is made
the duty of the Secretary to examine the
returns in the presence Of the Governor.
and to "giye 90 the person having the
highest number of votes in their, respec-
tive districts, certificates Of their election
20 the Legislative Assembly," aa
Under these two provisions. of:tbe laws
prevailing iu this Territory. the recent
general election has presented for the joint
consideration Of the Governor and Score
tary a question of the gravest importance,
not only to our own deuple. but also t.
those Of the whole Union. This question
arises upon the extraordinary returns
made from the precinct of Oxford in the
county OF johnson. What purport to be
'he returns of the election held at that
precinct on the 9th and 9th instant have
been received By the Secretary, contain.
ing sixteen hundred and twenty eight
names Of pretended voters. or nearly hall
the number given in the whole represen.
tative district. The disposition to be
made of this supposed vote is rendered
allimportant by The fact that the political
character of the Legislative Assembly
will be controlled by The addition of three
councilEnen and eight representatives to
the strength of one party, or the other
according to the adoption or rejection Of
the returns in question.
In point of fact, it is we'll known that
even the whole county OF johnson, CON-
prIsing as it does, part of an Indian Re.
serve, which, upon examination of the
Law. We find is not yet subject TO settle,
ment or presumption, can give no such
vote as that which is Represented 10 have
been .polled at this inconsiderable precinct
Of Oxford. But while this unofficial
knowledge. we'll established and univer
sal as it may be, could not become the
ground Of decision. and action upon cleo.
ton returns in themselves regular anC
authentic, The legitimate effect Of an ap
parent enormity. such as that in question
would necessarily be to induce a close ex
animation of the paper presented. and tc
require forts acceptance q perfect compli
ance, with all the essential provisions o.
the Law. Such an examination OF this
document, couscientiously and impartial
~ made. has brought us to the conclu
sion that he returns frrm Oxford precinc
10 johnson County must be wholly reject
ed. for the following reasons:
tst. II does not appear on the face o
the document presented TO US, or in any
other manner, that the judges Of elecsio,
took the oath imperatively required b!
the statute. to secure the impartial dis
charge of their duties according to law.
Cd. II does cot appear that the pape
presented to us was one Of the two origi
nal poll-books kept at the election, as re
quired by law; but, on the contrary. i
does appear, from uumistakeable interna
evidence, that the paper is either a cop,
of some other document, or has beef
made up for the occasion. and is not TIT
genuine record Of the votes take at thu
election. The law requires one of thI
poll>books TO be returned to the Secreta
~. the other TO be deposited with thu
clerk Of The board Of commissioners Of the
proper county.
Sd. AS the vote Of each elector was tc
be recorded for each one OF twenty-five
candidates, and in more than hundred
cases, for twenty Eve, and that by a vivc
roes vote it was physical impossibility
that the number of votes pretended &c
have been taken on. the second day. be-
ing more than fifteen hundred: with the
name OF the voter written. and each oil
twenty-five candidates properly designa
ted. could have been taken and recorded
ID the time prescribed by law.
9TH. II is an extraordinary fact. tend
ing to throw distrust upon the whole pro-
eeeding. that Of the sixteen hundred and
twenty eight votes. only one is given to
the Delegate elect to Congress-; and only
one hundred'an twenty teur are record