The Tiffin tribune. [volume] (Tiffin, Ohio) 1848-1859, 1857-11-06

we believe, one hundred Of Missourians
or other persons having no admitted right |
to vote, did claim or attempt 70 exercise
that right, any where within that county.
The people Of Missouri cannot be Justly
charged with any interference in the late
election, nor are they in any degree com
plicated with the evidently fraudulent
returns made from the precinct Of Ok
ford. Those returns, beyond al doubt,
are simulated and fictitious.
Under these circumstances, We do not
feel embarrassed by any technical ditb
5ulty, as to our right to 60 behind the
returns. We hold the returns themselves
TO be defective in form and in substance.
and therefore inadmissable. We 90 be-
bind them and inquire into the facts. only
for the purpose Of ascertaining whether
by these valid objections to the mere re-
turns, our rejection Of them will have the
feet Of defeating the will Of the people,
sought 10 be fairly expressed at The polls.
In The event Of such consequences, we
might hesitate to reject vote upon any
leiecl Of form, however essential in law
But in the present case, we feel ourselves
bound to adhere to the very letter Of the
law, in order 70 defeat gross and palpa-
ole fraud. The consideration that our
own party, by this decision, will loose
the majority in the Legislative Assembly,
does not make our duty in the premises
less solemn and imperative. The elective
franchise would be utterly valueless, and
free government itself would receive a
deadly blow, il 50 great an outrage as
this could be shielded under the cover Of
mere forms and technicalities. We can
not consent, in any manner, to give the
sanction Of our respective official positions
TO such transaction, Nor can we feel
justified to relieve ourselves Of ihe proper
responsibility Of our Offices, in case
where there is no valid return, by sub
hitting the question to the Legislative
Assembly, and in that very act, giving
the parties that might claim to be chosen
by this spurious vote, the power to decide
upon their own election
In view Of the condition of affairs in
Kansas for several years past, of the efforts
so long made to put in operation here a
Revolutionary government, and Of the tacl
that this effort was suspended under the
belief that the political difficulties oI
this territory might at length be fairly
adjusted at the polls; if that adjustment
Should now be defeated and the people
deprived Of their rightful power under
the laws Of Congress, by fictitious returns
Iof votes never given, it is our solem'
conviction, that the paci6oation Of Kan
sas, through the exercise of the electiv,
franchise would become impraeticable
and that the evil war would Immediately
be recommended in this territory, extend
ing we fear, to adjacent States, and sub
jecting the government Of the Union tC
imminent peril.
| Because, therefore, the paper now un
der examination is not one of the origina
| poll-books. by law required to be returned
and from the absence of the oath pre-
scribed by the territorial statutes for the
Judges Of election. the returns being thus
clearly invalid, and as we believe fictitious
and simulated, we have under the circum
stances no alternative but to reject tn,
Twhole return from the Oxford precinct
and to give the certificates to those VIII,
appear to have been elected by virtue o
the other regular returns.
r. j. WALKER,
Governor of Eansas Territory.
| FRED p STANToN Spc'v