Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1858-01-05
The maryland Contested seats.

II has hereto fore been stated that Messrs. Whyte
and Brooks had laid their memorials before the
House of Representatives stating the grounds on
which they contest the seats of Messrs. Harris and
Davis members returned from the third and fourth
Congressional districts. The memorials of Messrss
Whyte and Brooks have just been printed. The
Washington correspondent of the Philadedelphis In
quirer, who has read them, says:
They are of very similar character, contain about
TIE same allegations, and present aboutthe same
statement of facts on which they are based but
while the latter merely asss the seat of Mr.. Davis
be vacant and election ordered TO be held
tic former prays that his clnms may be positively
admitted TO the seat now occupied by Mr. Harri5
D1ublless the two contestants acting in union
sd the final judgement in both cakes sMil be alike
Ssthe allegations are now in official shape, aud
therefore entitled to- more weight than the mere
election, will give brief synopsis of them, that
Your readers may know how they do things IN your
Sister city. II is TO be hoped that may not thus
be the FURNISHING hints for the future oPer
atoms of any of the parties with YOU
The charges (and the contestants profess their
ability to establish them by abundant testimony
that tue election referred 10, oye'n6er last was
SO illegally and improperly conducted as to have
been mockery ofthe elective tranchise-tbat GER
tain political clubs assembled around thepolls and
in the avenues leading TO ihem and by threats in
Inundated and by force and violence INSTRUCTED and
drove away from the pol thousands oflegal voters
who desired 10 vote for the contestants, but @ere
thus prevented from doing So
That thousands of votes were received and coun-
ted for the sitting members which should have been
rejected by tae judges contrary TO the constitu-
ton and laws OF the State which authorize only the
secret ballot while the tickets of Messrs Davis and
Harris were all printed striped paper, and there
fore known tosa bystanders as they were deposited
it being understood that any person Offering any
other was to be forcbly driven away from the polls
or otherwise prevented from depositing Il.
That in one rthe wards cannon and band of
armed men were stationed in front of the place of
voting whose avowed determination was such that
none but those who were to vote the striped ticket
dared 10 approach the polls; that many hundreds
of votes were received in OF the wards and de-
stroved by the Judges instead ofbeing deposited in
the balot-boxes; that in some of the wards the re-
ouisite number of judges were not on duty and the
regular places OF holding the elections were changed,
and in some cases the polls were located in imme-
diate proximity TO the headquarters OF notorious
no:itica clubs, known as "Rough Skins ETC., deter
ing many from voting, through fear of personal
violence. 49,.
That the Judges rejected many votes, and accepted
many Others without any regard TO the law, butin
accordance only with their preferences and prelu-
dices that in one ward the votes counted and allow
ed by the Judges for Mr.. Harris exceed in number
bv more than Eve hundred the legal voters Of that
ward of both political parties that in another ward
the votes ofmnors and eueH Of romeR, were recely-
ed and counted that many persons voted IN sever
al different wards, and that some were suffered to
vote several times in the same ward &c, &C.. &c.
have no idea what will be the replies OF the sit
ting members to the charges alleged in the memorials
but one halfis true, it shows state OF things IL
the political character of Baltimore that calls loudly
for the interposition of power Sufficient 10 re-
strain such exhibitions in future.