Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1858-10-05
p. RIn,r. y.


1t will be remembered that at the cleo
tion inSt Louis. for mem her of Congress,
f. p. Blair, :he prescnt.able and fearless
champion of free labor in Missouri, was
declared defeated, by Barret, the Lecompton
candidate. This result, which was hailed
by the Democracy as a great triumph, is
likely to give them trouble An increase
OF /our thousand Democratic Votes, in two
or three wards of the city where it was
well known no such increase had in reality
occurred, showed to the world that the
Oxford and Kickapoo frauds had been
transferred from Kansas to St. Louis
The frauds were so transparent that Blair
Immediately gave the necessary notice to
Barret OF his intention to contest the cleo
tion. Alarmed at this, Bsrret and his
friends procured from the pro. slavery
judges Of the County Court AN order to
have the ballots and poll books of the
election locked up, and obtained an iniunc-
lion forbidding Blair Or his friends all nc
cess to them. OF course ifthis high handed
unconstitutional edict could be enforced
Blair could not proceed in his contest for
the want of the necessary proofs, and De-
mocracy would be safe. Blair applied to
the United States Court, and stepped as il
was in pro-slavery. it nevertheless could
not venture to indorse SO monstrous
decree, and was compelled to set aside the
arbitrary edict of the Court below, and |
give Mr. Blair access to the records.
Mr., Blair from these records and other
sources has given twenty specifications as
the grounds of his contest, among others,
chat large sums of money, contributed by
Federal office holders and contractors were
expended in purchasing votes for Barret
that inmates of the United States Marine
Hospital, and of the Poor House, not citi-
zens of the United States or Missouri,
were made to vote for Mr.. Barret By the
officers ofthose institutions that the Gov
ernor issued pardons to persons convicted
in the Criminal Courts to be delivered on
condition that they voted for Barret that
foreigners and minors voted
for Barnet there was double voting for
Barrett etc., etc. The charges are pub
ished in the Missouri "Democrat,' and
n his letter to that journal Mr. Blair
says: a..-- ;
"My only purpose in making this contest
S to vindicate the rights of the people of :
his county, violated in my person. by
he same corrupt practice which So long
prevailed in Kansas. and by which alone
he Democratic or Slavery party main \
aimed its ascendancy in that Territory. c
Wnen the frauds so repeatedly committed !,
It OxfoId, Kickapoo, Shaw nee and the I
Delaware Crossing could 10 longer avail "
o maintain their ascendancy in Kansas, #
he chief actors and perpetrators of those y
rauds fell back upon Missouri, and brought .
With them the tactics in which they had =,
become so skillful to be again applied e
where the struggle for free principles has p
'etn again renewed. Missouri is now b
What Kansas has been in the last five 81
ears, the battle ground Of freedom. The =,
Democratic, or Slavery party, throughout =,
he Union, which defended the frauds hi
racticed by the Regent Calhoun in
Aansas, have been swift TO inaugurate er
ne same practices in Missouri | pro-
ose to meet them at the threshold and tn
y exposing them in the eyes of the whole re
alton, to make their disgraceful triumphs Sc
le means of a more speedy and complete pr
verthrow. l have ample evidence to W, w.
i lbstantiate the charges | have preferred ri
| my notice" 70