The Washington union., 1858-02-21
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convention which the people were about TO elect TO re-
fleet their own viii The republican institutions Of the
limited States ure all based upon the representative pn-
cpe Instead of meeting in person, did the people OF
Athens in large tumultuou5 assemblies, where no
tain decision anything could be had and where lib
er itself ultimately lost the people of the several
States happy Union have chosen rather 10 delegate
authority to representatives who should act for and In
the name and behalf Of the people in public political
matters either IN making constitutions in the passage
OF laws Tor the regulations and government OF society
This principle Is observed in all institutions State
and federal and thus far in history has proved faith
ul and efficient in protecting the rights OF the people
and beneficial in avoiding the tumutuary mobs which
disgraced the Grecian republics and of own
arger cities But whether the representative principle
the personal association in assemblies be the better
gysten il is not for the committee to decide IL is sui
cient either be adopted and pursued by the people
in the Of Kansas and the selection of the repre-
sentative American system be valid objection TO
the action of the people in that regard That represent
atye rule and principle has been perfected IN great de
gree under our institutions, and almost be claimed
Imateaa system.
That the law providing for the convention afforded
equal opportunities to all the citizens of Kansas to have
voice the constitution, in and through the conyen
tion, cannot be denied. IL provided
SEc l. Sherfs required between the lst Of March
and LIST of April 1857, to make enumeration have
power to appoint deputies, who shall take oath, &c.
SEo q In case of vacancy in Office of sheriff the pro
bate Judge shah perform his duty; and in of
oy in both the governor shall appoint competent
resident to perform said duty.
Src 8 ofcers above shall file in Office Of probate
Judge complete list Of all qualified resident in his
county district ON the first OF April, 1857.
SIC T. Copies OF said list TO be posted in public places
SKc g. Probate judge TO continue from receipt
of said returns to st Of May for the purpose of correct
ing them,
SEC G. Lists of legal voters, corrected TO be
turned to the governor and secretary and distributed
generally.
SEc T. Upon completion of census apportionment Of
members 10 be made by the governor and secretary,
cOrling the rerSteFeu voters Number
tiyes 30 be sixty.
SEC 8 Election for members of the constitutional
yention shall be held the third Monday in june and
no one, unless registered, shall vote
SEC. Q. County commissioners shall appoint the places
of voting, Judges OF elections, Sc
SEC 10. Judges of election are required to be
also the clerks and duplicate returns of election shall be
made and certified by them.
SEC / Every bono dde nhabitant of Kansas. the
| third Monday of june 1857, being citizen of the
United States, and twenty years of age whose
residence in the county where he offers Go vote shall have
been three months next before said election shall be
titled To vote
$50 H. Persons authorized to take the census ad
minister oaths, &c
SEC l3 provides for the punishment Of unlawful at
tempts TO influence voters
SIC IA provides punishment for Illegal voting
SEC Is provides punishment for those who fraudulent
Iy hinder fair expression OF the popular vote.
SIC 10. Delegates required to assemble in con
yention at the capitol the first Monday of Sepem
her next
Size II provides for election by the convention of
its officers.
$40 rs in relation to the salaries of sheris and other
officers.
SIC 10 relative to the location Of the election dis
tricts
SEC 20 requires all votes to be gi0a pocl.
SIC Il gives Il tabular form for the returns.
Above bill passed over governors veto the 10th of
February, 1851
registry Of the voters accordingly taken in pur-
snance the of the territorial legislature so far it
lOsSihle under the thinoS then
istng TO do 1t appears that portion OF the nhabi
tants refused to be registered gave fictitious Names
and others prevented the officers from complying with the
law.
Mr. stanton then acting governor of Kansas says on
that subject
III not pnrpo'e to reply statement Of facts caneot
from Knowledge enabling either admit
say have heard quite
thcul your nsmbors Of your
GENERALLY almost universally % participate the
pending proceedings registering the Of fts legal In
instances they have given fictitious names and IN numerous
others they refused give ame at an Y"n cannot deny that
your party have heretofore resolved TO take the registration
appears that, without nlqsng slspcions
the integrity of officers might well attribute errors aud omis
p'i rSs fact, r. '' - '''''' ''' ''''O
But, Notwithstanding all these difficulties in making
the registry of voters, 9,25 legally returned
in the following counties and DISTRICTS viz Doniphan
Brown Ncmaha, Atchison Loavenworth, Jefferson, Cal
houn, Marshall Pottawatome, johnson, Douglas, Shaw
nee, Lykins Linn, Bourbon, Niece Dorm, Allen.
In the following counties Richardson, Davis, Frank
Anderson, Woodson Wilson, Godfrey, Greenwood, Hun
registry taken account of the facts above
stated All of the lstnaned counties together contain
cd but very small population vote 1t is believed,
from the statement made by General Calhoun now be-
the committee that many of these counties did not
contain Ten ots and all of them together not so many
500 The counties marked out by description OF
boundaries and named but some OF them We're without
inhabitants and many of them attached to ada
cent counties for civil and military purposes.
All of them equally provided for by the law call
ing the convention and any omissions that may have
CURED resutefrom not in the control of the
jority of the people.
The largest vote had in the Territoryup to the 2lst
December last is about II 900 SO that appears from the
tcts before the committee, notwithstanding the refusal to
comply with the law the part of those opposed o only
about 900 or les could possibly have been omitted in
the registration and that omission the result
OF their acts
One whole month was afterwards allowed under the
law before stated for the correction of the lists after due
notice TO the public by adding striking off names
improperly inserted or omitted to be determined on e
g evidence submitted by any parties concerned before
legal tribunal In addition to which IL appears that tho
Governor of the Territory made every effort to induce the
people comply with the law calling the convention and
to give full force and effect to all its provisions
Thus every opportunity afforded to all the people
OF Kansas to register their names, legal voters if they
possessed the requisite qualifications After the regista
ton closed according 10 the law Mr. Stanton, then
governor Of Kansas made the apportionment of delegates
amongst the several districts The election legally
held pursuant the law At the time this apportion-
ment was made the governor knew much concerning
the counties and people registered in consequence Of
acts which law could prevent as SINCE and If the
facts then presented fair enough to Justify the
apportonmcnt it is late TO make any complaint