The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-02-06
From the LeQreasoosEh Ledger.
Election Frauds.

The board of commissioners, who have
been in session in our city for several
days past, examining into the frauds COM
mitted at the late elections, will, bring
their labOrs to close to-day or to-mor-
row. Their investigation has been a
searching one, and extended to persons of
both political parties, for the purpose of
ascertainiDg 'tte truth, tie t0l.ole truth, and
nothing but the truth"
In order to establish the fact that it was
of the most vital importance for this
board to investigate the matter, we have
only to refer to few facts and figures
In the first place, it is we'll known, and
generally conceded, that the Free State
party have very large majority in the
Territory, and large majority In this
county and when the returns from Del
aware Crossing precinct was announced to
be .ifoe hundred and torty-three," it was
very evident that they had been tamper-
ed with; and, to add fury to the fame
then already kindled, the vote as returned
from that precinct, If counted, would have
given the State officers Except Parrott)
to the ademocrscy," and majority of one
in the Senate and a tie in the House of
Representatives. 1t was this state of
facts which caused the organization (by
the Legislature) of this board of commits
sioners: and their labors have not been
in vain.., The testimony of the witnesses
is clear and conclusive that fraud was
committed in the Kickapoo precinct, and
that the returns from the Delaware Cross
ing precinct had been tampered with.
The judges of the Delaware Crossing pre-
einct have both testified that there was
only torty-tsree votes polled there on that
day; that their certificate was to that eff
feet. We can see very plainly how this
precinct was made to appear to return ".fue
hundred and tosty-thrce 0otes :" the figure
80 was inserted before the figures "43 ~
that is tie aUhole case. Strike out this bo
gus '-ive hundred votes, and count the
"forty-three'' legal votes, and this county
gives majority of over one hundred for
the Free State candidates, (admitting of
the four hundred fraudulent votes at the
Kickapoo precinct, which, if thrown out,
gives them over five hundred majority, )
which gives the Free State party the en-
tire State officers, majority in both
branches of the Legislature, and a ma
jority of t,oenty-one on joint bs lot.
The question is: who tampered with
the returns from the Delaware crossing
precinct? Mr.. Henderson testi6es that
he gave them as received from the isdees
to Mr.. Diefendorf, one of the commission.
ems of this county; (and Calhoun;s isEoth-
er-in-law;) that Mr.. Diefendorf informed
him he had sent them to Mr.. Calhoun.
Who carried them? Let the carrier be
brought before the board let Mr.. DEF
endOrf be brought before the board, and,
above all, let MIR. Calhoun come back from
Missouri and be brought before the board;
let them ali testify to what they know,
and let the responsibility rest where it
properly belongs. Our citizens have rea-
son to be thankful for this investigation.
1t has shown up the workings of the
"speilsmen" of this national ? democracy
whose only aim is, 't0 rule or ruin. -
Thank God (! they are politically dead in
Kansas, and can never be resurrected.
They and the "Topeka" plunderers occu-
py the same position before the country,
and while we offer thanks for the death OF
the former, our thanks are just as fervent
for the humiliation of the latter. 0ur
prayers shall be continual for the politi-
cal death of all "demagogues," fanatics -
'plunderers" and "spoilsmen," and the
upbuilding of a great conservative party
truly national in its character, whose cor
ner stone shall be the CONSTITUTION OF
THE COUNTRY, and whose aims shall be
higher than the mere success of party
That is the party the people want, for il
comprehends their wants, without refer
ence to the spoils. Such party sOould
deal political death to all "spoilsn.en," all
fanatics" all '.planderers," ali "dema.
gogues," and all who have nothing to ac-
| complish but their osrn abominable ends.