Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1858-03-10

nineteen, and they are to swell this equality
in the comparison Unregistered and unregis-
tered votes Not one single inhabitant this
day have these counties, nor did they ever
have, according to my information They
were created at the close of the session of
1857 That fact will be found in the volume
of Kansas laws before me. if 1t is desired to
look at it. Then several other counties were
attached te other counties that were repre-
sented, aud had the privilege if they chose to
make use of it. Weller county WAS attached
to Shawnee Anderson and Franklin coun-
ties had their officers driven off .,y Abolition
lists; and Allen had attached TO it Green
wood Hunter, Dorm Wilson and Godfrey.
(See page IS' of the statutes of 1900
Breckenridge county had attached to it Wise.
(See page 80, session acts of 1891 So you
will discover that but few districts were un-
represented, that many counties were attach
ed to those which were represented, and that,
whether this was SO or not, only about one
thousand four hundred and twenty-thre votes
could be mustered up in the counties which
it is said were unrcpresented. when under the
loose, broad provision to which L have allu-
ied, double the number voted that possessed
the regular qualification to be registered.
These are facts. | am only stating them
to counteract the false impression this loose
statement is calculated to make on the public
mind abroad, that nineteen counties were un-
represented, being half the Territory. This
is not correct the number is less than / have
stated it. Whether this, however. were Sc
or not, say the Law provided the legal
means Of registration The law says the reg
istration shall first be by the sherifF's. and in
case of vacancy in that Office, it shall be by
the probate Judge and in case Of vacancy
of all these officers of the county, in the first
instance, for the discharge of this duty the
Governor has right to appoint others. The
then Governor of the Territory was not
friendly to the party calling this Convention;
and surely if the other officers had declined
to act, he had power to cause full registra-
.ion of his friends by the appointment of his
own par,isaas to perform the duty Of registra-
ton but when the forms Of law have given
them the right, and they stand aloof and re-
fuse to make use of that right, if law is to be
respected, if the rule is to be regarded, if sys-
tenn is to be consulted. we must turn deaf
ear to the complaints of those, who, frcn,
! their own wrong@ stoad alaaf. and afterwards
raise the cry Of injustice
When this registration was completed the
Governor of the Territory who was then Mr..
Stanton mado the superintendent This ap-
portionment, of course was fair. He would
hardly etultfy himself, ID of course h friends
here will hardly take position that would
be dishonorabe to Mr. Stanton | take it
therefore to have been done honestly and
fairly. The whole sixty members of tho
| Convention were parcelcd out to the register
ed counties and those attached to them. The
! election was legally conducted; the members
I wore legally elected; they assembled under
! ,bo, how in
Here it is said that from Anderson county
three members were elected and sent up, and
they we're refused admission I answer first
that the registration was not legal; second, if
| it had been legal, Mr.. Stanton had omitted
that county in parceling out the representa-
tiyes, and the law limiting the number te
sixty beyond that number it would be impos
sible to go by the admission of 9th er;s and
thirdly aud finally, they were not refused ad
mission. The application of these delegate.
was presented by Judge Elmore, | believe; i
was referred to a committee of FIVE: they re
ported Iii favor Of admitting them. although
the Convention act had limited the numbel
to sixty; they subsequently withdrew thei
application, aud it was never passed upon b'
the Convention. Thore was no expulsion. M
refusal of seats
One other fact. as I am giving historica
account of this matter, should rot be over
looked. The law provided that, after the re
gistry had been made, it should be copied
and put up in number of public places il
each precinct The whole list as made ou
by the officials, was open to public inspection
every man could go and examine it. If h
himself was omitted, he had right to go be
fore court, prove the fact, and have hi
name inserted. If any man was improperl
listed, who ought not to be listed, who wa
not entitled to rights ander the law, on proc
of that fact before the court, his name woul
be stricken off. For one whole month theT
!, was an open court in every county where the
desired to avail themselves of the benefits
this law. So far as | have examined, l hay
never seen law that made more ample prc
/ visions for fairness, for justice, for equa
: ity,
As to the manner IN which it was executed
f of course we have differences of opinion; b,
8 the law itself was good and just The Coz
D vontion, then when it met, formed the Cor
8 stitution; they adopted it for themselves; the
: submitted it not to the vote of the people f
s ratification 1t will be remembered tha. OF
5 of the causes of complaint against the Co.
l vsntion is. that they did not submit the Coz
4 stitution to the popular vote. When the Coz
: vcntlon act was passed, Goyernor Geary v
: toed the bill, because it did not require Il
0 the Convention to submit the Constitution
e a popular vote. Hence the public were n
e titled; the public knew what to expect
n is of no use to tell me that the Convent,
! was under any obligation to submit the Co
J. stituton to popular vote. for the facts al
IT the law are directly to the contrary. Cove
l. nor Gcasy had vetoed it, and yet two thir
| or hot - l.
; What had tho people right to expect fro
d; this? The Convention was under no OBJ
l. CATION; it Was a matter for the Convention
ri consider; and as have heretofore said
}, repeat, it The legislative authority of the 7,