The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1858-09-04
The 81 Louis EIectio ON TO be Con.
aNunRA.

The So Louis Election 10 be Con.
tested.
Ii has been reported for some time that
Frank Blair intended to contest the seat OF
Dick Barrett in Congress, and to expose the
outrageous frauds perpetrated by the Ma
tional Democracy at that election. Below
We publish the note addressed By Mr.. Blair
to Mr.. Barrett, notifying him Of HE inten-
ton and enclosing statement of the grounds
Of contest
ST. LOUIS, Aug. 3lst, 1858.
To the Editor Of the Missouri Democrat
SIR--I send you for publication my notice
Of contest with Mr.. Barrett, who holds the
certificate OF election rs q representative
from this district. My only purpose In
making this contest is to vindicate the rights
Of the people Of this county, violated in my
person, by the same corrupt practices which
so long prevailed in Kansas, and by which
alone the Democratic or Slavery party, main.
tanned its ascendency in that Territory
When the frauds 10 repeatedly committed at
Oxford, Kickapoo, Shawnee and the Della
ware Crossings could no longer avail to
maintain their ascendency in Kansas, the
chief actors and perpetrators OF those frauds
fell back upon Missouri, and brought with
them the tactics in which they had become
SO skilful, to be again applied where the
struggle for free principles has been again
renewed. Missouri 10 now what Kansas has
been for the last FIVE years, the battle ground
of freedom. The Democratic, or Slavery
party, throughout the Union, which defended
the frauds prnotised by the Regent Calhoun
in Kansas, have been swift to inaugurate the
same practice in Missouri. propose TO
meet them at the threshold, and by exposing
them in the eyes Of the whole nation, make
their disgraceful triumph the means of
more speedy and complete overthrow.
have ample evidence to substantiate the
charges have preferred in my notice, but as
desire to make it as complete as possible,
now make q public appeal to oil honest men
Of every party, to furnish me with all the
evidence in their possession bearing upon
the case, and their aid in vindicating their
own and the rights Of their fellow. citizens
Respectfully,
FRANK =. BLAIR, Jr.
The specifications of frauds are numerous
and aggravated, and exhibit universal and
systematic fraudulent and corrupt canvass
in tho general and 10 the detail. The gem
eral fact set forth in the eighth specification
shows the effect Of the frauds in the other
wise unaccountable increase Of the Demo-
cratic vote. That specification is as fol-
lows:
! charge that the general election for
members Of Congress in 1856, the vote stood
kennett, 5549; Reynolds, 2l6l Blair,
6o35 and that at the last election on tho I'd
of August, 1858, the vote returned stood as
follows, to.wit: Breckenridge, 566S; Bar
re.t, 1851; Blair, 6630, showing n natural
and reasonable increase for MIR. Breckenridge
over MIR. kennett's vote, and for me over my
former vote, whilst the increase for you is
within fraction OF Eve thousand votes over
Mr.. Reynolds--the increase alone being
many times larger than any vote ever polled
for your party in this county, end nearly the
entire increase taking place in few pre-
cincts, there being no corresponding increase
in the other precincts and the precincts in
which the increase has taken place being
precisely the same in which the improper
conduct Of the judges OF election, and of
your partisans, gives room to suspect the
fraudulent practices which | have here
charged.
The st. Louis Eveaing News, the Ameri-
can organ, publishes the following editorial
notice and approval Of the course of Mr..
Blair in the premises:
II viii be seen by notice from +. p.
Blair, jr., to j. X. Barrett, to be found else
where in our columns, that the election Of
August 2di is not yet decided. 1t is now a
contested election. MIR. Blair formally no.
t6es Mr.. Barrett Of his design to contest his
claims to n seat in Congress as the represent
alive from St. Louis county. The issue will
therefore 60 before the Congress Of 1859,
and be by it settled.
Mr.. Blair's charges are emphatic and une.
quivocal, and couched in language that nc
one will fnd any difficulty in understanding
| As the matter is thus carried for adjustment,
before the final tribunal, wewill let it res,
there, with the simple declaration that il
Mr. Blair should succeed in establishing ont
half his charges, he will cntitle himself to
the contested seat, and convict the National
Democracy of this District Of the mos
shameful conduct that ever disgraced the an
nails Of Missouri.