The Kanzas news., 1857-07-04
The Election Law.


for Territorial Delegate to Congress, and
also for new Territorial Legislature, is to
be governed by an election law framed by
the bogus Legislature, and not by the organ
ic act. We expect to be able to obtain a
certified copy of that law, which we shall
lay before our readers as soon as we do
Near time We shall state It's chief features
briefly. It takes the late partial and infa-
nous census as the basis of apportionment
for the representatives. This is feature
number one. II is sufficient IN itself to
damn The whole thing. By it our commu-
nifty is completely cut ont of representation,
as is the whole Neosho valley In the fol-
lowing counties no census was taken Breck-
enridge, Madison, Greenwood, Godfrey.
Wilson, Woodson, Weller, Coffee, Shawnee,
Franklin, Anderson, Allen, Dorm, Hunter,
Butler, Wise, Davies and Richardson. That
is one half of the whole settled portion of
the Territory. When we add to these the
portions north of the Kansas river that are
left off, we get almost two thirds OF the
whole settled portion of Kanzas.
Now what is Gov. Walker going to do ?
We want no humbug about " fair elections, y
in general terms. Will he make an appor-
tionment of representatives. according to that
wicked law, and that wicked census under
it? In very short time he must make
that apportionment. If he supposes that
any portion of the American people viii toll
crate such monstrosity he is mistaken
We do not see that it requires any great eff
fort on his part to step behind such a weak
kneed and palpable fraud. If he cannot do
that we certainly have no use for him.
And in this connection let US appeal to our
eager brethren and friends who happen to
live in more favored portions of the Terrific
~. Ten thousand voters in the valleys of
the Usage and Neosho appeal to you not to
recognise in terms an iniquity that disfran
chises them. They appeal to your sense of
Justice and to the common interest by which
we are impelled. We claim that we have a
right to a voice in the elections. By max
ing qualification of time the elective fran
cfise is restricted to few, and those few
dictate tie future interests of the remainder.
This feature is not only unjust but it is in
violation of the organic act. There is anoth-
er feature which is in violation of the organ
ic law of the Territory. By the organic
90 ,,o--o,,- of f,,oIo.,, b;rfb rbo bovo EJod
their declaration to become citizens of the
United States, are allowed to vote. This
election law of the bogus Legislature steps in
and says they shall not. Nearly all the Ger
man settlers are Free State men, and it is
thus designed to cut them off.
There are other features. The election
law framed at the Shawnee Mission is in
eorporated into this second bogus act. That
law made the payment of tax a qualification
for a voter. That clause is still in force
Now the people of Territory have never
before been called on to support a Territorial
government, and it may be set down as in
controvertible that the people of Kanzas viii
neUer pay those bogus taxes.
Again, that election is to be held by these
bogus officers. We are Republican peo-
pie and claim the right to elect our own
county officers, justices of the peace, &c.
In the first place, this despotism we won't
submit to. In the second place, we have no
faith III these men. Had they been honest
men they never would have assumed these
offices at the bidding of bogus legislature,
or any legislature. They have wilfully con-
nived to cheat the people once, and we shall
lave no faith In them. The people have
none
Shall we go into that Fall election I'm
der such regulation we cannot. We, Of
course, cannot, and we implore others not to
do so. If the Governor viii Issue procla-
nation have new census, and have fair
election, with judges of election chosen by
the people, and conducted under the provis-
ions of the organic act, it twould be different.
Our portion of the Territory registers sol
emn oath against any party that win pre-
sumo thus to form a Territorial, or any 9TH
er government, cutting us off.
IF the Governor, or the Free State party,
or any other power in the Territory strong
enough to do it, viii guarantee US a fair
voice We shall be heard from. We win not
accept wishywashy proposition 10 elect
representatives, and send them up to be ac
cepted or rejected by the Representatives
elected under the apportionment. Our rep
resentatives are as much entitled to sit in
judgement on them as tisey are on ours
Besides, we want an equal representation, and
We want those We elect to have right to
their seats. Representatives of the people
have been kicked out of pretended legisla-