The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-08-27
From the Keckuk Gate City.
OLD PLOTS AND OLD PLO TIERS

Poll-book robbery, which came of in low,
some ten years ago. The people of this dis
trict marked their condemnation of the Grim,
in the choice of the candidate against WHOM
it was penetrated at tho next election by ,
majority Of FIVE hundred votes. But tn,
| Locofoco party has again presented some oil
grand plot of political vllainy for the suf.
frages of the people, and we propose, there
fore, to republish some OF the facts anc
documents, from which the people will bt
enabled to form their own conclusions as tt
the completely and guilt OF certain persons
now candidates for the hig hest office Of trus
and honor in the gift Of the people of th'
State.
As that Poll book iniquity was first clear.
ly developed through mistake of Judge
MasOn's. in handing out the waong paper tC
lAn. Miller when they were taking tcstimo.
ny in the case, we will re-publish so much
of it, and his defence, as will enable oul
readers to understand how We and he re-
garded the transaction then, fully and fresh.
ly revealed to the public.
We quote from the Whig end Register,
as our paper was then styled, Of March I,
1850:
Judge Mason on - 'Estrnys."
They will steal any thing and call i:-purchase.
tsHAKsrEAnE's Henry "
C0nrey, the wise 1t call: steal! foh hcn for the
phrase. merry wives of Windsor.
We publish the following communication
which appeared in the last Despatch. We
should have been pleased had the Judge
found it consistent with his "taste' to have
gratifed us with a more lucid exposition in
regard to many points about which an anx-
iOus public are still unsatistied
Without expecting to change the course
which the Register seems to have mark ed
out for itself, beg leave to make a state
ment of few plain facts, connected with
the subject of the leading article in its last
number. In August, 1913, paper, pur-
porting to be the Poll-Book Of the Kanes-
vile precinct, was found upon the table of
the Clerk Of the Board of Commissioners of
Munroe county. lie refused to receive it,
or to count the vote, Of which it contained
list, and made his returrrto the 3 1ard of
Canvasscrs accordingly. After lying on the
Clerks table for an hour Or two perfect
estruy-no one claiming it, or willing to ac-
knowledge it as his propertyi it was found
to be mlssiny. Who removed il. or where
it went, | never knew up to the time when
Gas Mr.. Marshall stated in his testimony last
week i, was seen in this town. About tw o
weeks ,ince, paper which | suppose to be
the same, was placed in my hands, as the
attorney. in fact, of Mr.. Thompson, and for
a legitimate purpose.
$50 far as have mad anything to do with
this controversy, it has on been as attor-
ney for Mr.. Thompson. As such, | have
endeayoreI to condnctt in perfectly fair.
courteous and gcnIemnny manner. Ii
would be more pleasant if this endeavor
could be reciprocated. But if, from taste,
habit, constitutional popularity, or any 9th
er cause, others choose to pursue a different
course, shall no quarrel with them on
that account. Every one has. in this respect,
a wide latitude Of choice, which shall make
no effort to restrict. CHARLES MsoN.'
Now let US have a fuller statement, the
material facts ofwhich we know personally,
and the remainder Of which we can prove
conclusivly.
A few days after the election, in August,
lS4S. it was generally supposed that the
vote of the kanesville Precinct would de-
eide not only the Congressional election,
but also the political character of the SEN
ate.
The immense importance of the stake to
the Locofoco politicians induced a resort to
the most effective means for getting rid Of
the vote. A caucus Of the magnates was
held ut Burlington, and }. G. Hall was se-
lected As the person best adapted by "habit
and constitution peculiarity' to accom-.
plish the object. Or, it may bo, that with
views of his own superiority and fitness for
the task-simlar 10 those which Milton puts
into the mouth of the Arch fcnd in the first
Grand Councl! Of the Internal Regions-he
took upon himself the honor of thwarting
the will of the people of Iowa as expressed
at the polls. To this end, he posted with
all the speed to which suffering horse flesh
could be urged, to anticipate the arrival of
the returning Judges at the county seat of
Monroe. Saturday night he reached his
destination, and during the Sabbath he
matured his plans with his confederates
there.
Before Halls arrival at Princeton, (now
AIbia,) the Commissioners Clerk made out
blank forms for the official statement of the
vote, and included the kanesville Precinct.
He was tampered with and induced to
change his intention. On he presentation
Of the Poll book, on Monday morning, he
said he would not receive it, but he subse-
quentlv appeared to waver, and finally took
the Poll book in his hand and laid 1t on his
table. The baseness Of the contemplated
act and the dread of consequences appeared
to overcome his anxiety to serve his party.
Upon this, the few Wings who were present
left the Office in the full persuasion that the
Justices who were to assist in cunvassng
the votes would count them. The fear of
this induced some Locufoco present to steal
the Poll book to ''convey" it off. Who did
this we cannot say, as there were several
present admirably qualified by ''taste, hab-
it and constitutional pecuiarity" for the
performance of the deed.
There was not q Poi-book in the whole
State which bore more ample. evidences of
legality in every particular than that Of the
Kanesville Precinct. The Precinct WAS or
ganlzed in strict accordance with the law,
n, the desire of a Locofoco candidate in
Monroe county, and by the Locofoco Com
missioners. and the return was fully end1rs
ed BY the election officers while all that the
Clerk had to set up, against these ample,
Official and conclusive evidences Of legality,
was the simple assertion Of Hall that kanes-
Vile was not directly west of Monroe coun-
ty, and therefore the Commissioners had no
right to organize Precinct as they had
done.
This Poll-book was returned and deposit
ed in tho Office of the Comm issioner's Clerk,
where the law required it to be deposited,
and where it became part and parcel Of the
official records Of the court rs fully aud en-
tire rs any other Poll-book of the county.
Aud yet the late Chief Justice Mason tells
US to was an "estray" in this legal official de-
postory; that it was all right and proper
for any peeson to carry.it otf and do with it
as seemed to him expedient. The intense
absurjity Of this position is only eaualeu by
the ridiculous assumption of dignity with
which it is put forth. And the contempt
which it excites in legal mind, is only ex-
ceeded by the adherence with which it it
received by honest men Of plain common
sense.
If there is no improperly in thus taking
possession Of the Poll-book, why has it been
SO studiously concealed? And why, upon
its accidental discovery in the hands of
Judge Mason, did it cover him with shame
and confusion, and induce the stammerng,
dcprecatory apology that he had come by it
honestly! Men of common honesty and com