The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1859-09-07


every Monday at this ONCE, is one ofths oldss.
lation throu ghout the Def Moinss Valley, North.
srn Missouri, and Western Illinois.
The PsIl-Book Thieves Before the
People.
All the prominent men engaged ~ actors
or as aiders and absttors in the poll-book
robbery, with the exception Of two, are now
before the public ~ candidates for the suffra-
gss Of the people or ~ earnest advocates Of
their claims. Dodge, who advised it, and
who subsequently, defended it and called for
three cheers II Loeofoco barbecue in Eddy
vile in honor Of the base act Of the Olsrk Of
Monroe county, 10 the Democratic candidate
for Governor. Mason, the attorney, who,
with the stolen poll-book in HE pocket, de-
MED the right Of Miller to aseat Ia Congress,
Of which that was the original voucher, 10 .
candidate for the Supreme Bench. J. @.
Hall, who received and carried OF tho stolen
poll-book, and Was the partner and attorney
Of the man who snsaksd into Congress BY tho
theft, 10 . candidate for the Legislature in
De- Aoinss county. And Bill Thompson him
self, who enjoyed the profits Of the stolen
documents and drew several thousand dol
lars ~ the fruit Of the combined viliainy Of
his personsl and political friends, 10 now
their chief advocate and defender in the Bur-
lington Gazette.
Those same men have the same proelivities
and deeper interest TO prompt them to com
NIT greater political frauds than they had
years ago. The recent Secret Circular, smsns-
mating from former resident Of lowe and
special and confidential Clerk and Messenger
Of the Administration 1t Washington City,
Geo. Donnsllsn, Indicates that tho told
plotters" have now schemes or rascality on
foot. And in this view We would refresh the
minds Of our readers BY the relation Of what
they have done in the past, that they may
know what they are capable Of doing aud
likely to do in the future.
Most Of our readers know that in l848
Daniel T. Miller, of Lee county, Was the
Wing candidate, and William Thompson, Of
Des Moines, the Democratic candidate for
Congress in this District. In consequences Of
the abstraction Of the returns Of the Ksnee-
vile precinct from the ONCE Of the Clerk Of
the Commissioners Of Monroe county, to
which county, the region west, including
kanesvills, Was then legally attached,
Thompson got the seat in Congress and kept
1t for many months by continuing to conceal
the poll-book which gave Miller majority.
Miller contested the scat, and was compelled
TO take testimony to prove the character and
contents Of the poll-book and circumstances
attending its return and robbery, which .ss-
timony fills 100 pages, and constitutes docu.
ment No. Al, House Of Representatives OF
the Slst Congress. During the progress Of
taxing testimony, Charles Mason, the sttor-
nsy Of Thompson, accidentally exhibited the
stolen document, BY the denial Of whose az
is.ence Thompson was holding his seat in
Congress.
Upon the return Of this testimony the com.
mittee on elections in Congress-s majority
OF which were Democrats made two reports.
agreeing upon the facts and differing only
in the conclusion--the majority thinking that
the matter should be referred back to the
people, and the minority insisting that Miller
should have his seat Ut once.
The majority report, signed BY the Demo-
cratic members after reciting the preliminary
facts and the order Of the Judge and the
Board Of Commissioners constituting Kanss.
vile precinct Of Mouroe county, proceed in
their report ~ follows:
Acting under this order, Charles Bird
Henry Miller, and William Huntington open.
ed poll 1t the council house in Ksnesyille.
ut the general election on the It'll Of August.
lo46, Vt which 403 votes were given for Dan
lei F. Miller for . Representative from the
for William Thompson. certified COW Of
the poll-book was forwarded to tho Cisrk Of
the Board OF Commissioners OF Monroe ooun-
~, IN the manner and within the time pre-
scribed by the statntes Of the State for cleo
ton returns but the CLERK refused to recs;y e
- sla sabllii ii 10 $50 1osTd OF csnyassers.
~ required by law. The poll book was then
taken from the Clerks once and retained by
some persons not entitled to it. custody until
after this investigation was in progress.
Your committee would not be understood a
justifying the conduct Of the Clerk OF the
Board OF Commissioners OF Monroe county,
or OF those who abstractsd the poll-book and
subsequently, detained IT,; ON THE CON
TRARY, WE THINK 1T MERITS THE Sc.
vEREST CENSURE. The CLERK had, under
the law, no authority TO refuse to receive that
which purportsd TO be q return from IN cleo
ton district. II WAS his duty to receive the
return and lay II before the legally consttu
ted board OF canvassers, OF which be WAS 4
member.
We give also IN extract from the rspori
ofthe minority or Wing portion Of the oom-
mittss:
Nor do the committee see that sither thu