Weekly Minnesotian and times., 1859-12-31


hope the measure will vet be carried, and
the people relieved of 200 in this one de-
partment of our Government. 1t is a mea
sure of paramount Importance and has the
sanction of two-thirds of the Democratic par
ty. Will our Republican friends pass the
bill: This is no time for timidity-strike
now, and all the people will Say-Amen.
The Dakota County Question I'm the
House OF Representative.
1t is we'll known to those of our readers
who take an interest in legislative proceedings,
that upon one of the first days of the session,
ARCHIBALD VI. HAYES, Moses BIxLER ana
HENRY CAsKEY, presented petition in the
House, in which they set up a legal claim to
the seats in that body now and then occupied
10y ARA BARTON, MICHAEL WALDHIER and
STEPHEN NEWELL. The question was refer
red to the Committee on Elections, which
Committee was clothed with the customary
power to send for persons and papers and to
examine witnesses under oath, in order that
the ends of justice, touching the rights of
both parties, might be reached
After several days of careful and laborious
investigation on the part of the Committee,
the following facts, touching the case, were
elected in evidence That at the election
held in Dakota County, on the 18th day of
October last, H. G. o. MORRISON received
1869 votes, HENRY j. SCHAFFER 1867 votes,
MICHAEL WALDHIER 1912 votes, STEPHEN
NEWELL 1926 votes, and ARA BARTON 1O1S
votes for Representatives, according to the re-
turns had and canvassed at Hastings, the
County seat, twenty days after the election.
These gentlemen received certificates, and are
now the sitting members. 1t is also shown
in evidence, that, according to the same can
vasS, ARCHIBALD VI. HAYES (contestant) re-
ccived 1910 votes, Moses BIxLER (contestant)
received 1902 votes, and Henry CAsKEY
(contestanD received 991 votes. 1t is fur
ther shown, that of the votes received and
counted for BARTON, WALDulER and NEWELL,
the two former received 81 and the latter ST
votes at the town of Burnsville that Is of
these votes polled at Burnsvie were by resi-
dents of Scott County; that none of the
Judges or Clerks were sworn at that poll on
the day of election; that the sitting member,
NEWELL resident of that town, was party
10 the procurement of whisky, which he dis
pcnsed freely on the day of election, causing
thereby the almost iorciblc expulsion of Mr..
liAUK, the only Republican voter then pre-
sent, from the vicinity of the polls; that af-
terwards during the day, and when Mr..
NEWELL and his friends had shaped things to
suit themselves, the excess of drinking was
continued; that after the polls closed, riot
occurred, during which the ballot-box was
smashed, and tic ballots scattered about the
room ; that one of the Judges then, as he tes-
titles, gathered up the ballots (and few
more probably) and poll-books, and carried
Nem to las orn house, where he proceeded
to make ont tie returns the uert day.: that
the returns, when made out. were signed by
only one Of the Judges and one of the Clerks
this one Clerk aifixing the names of the
other two Judges and his fellow clerk and
that said returns were left at the office of the
chief canvassing officer of the county, unseal-
ed and undirected.
There are many other points in the evidence
going strongly to show the utter fraud and
total illesality of the proceedings connected
with the election at Burnsville, and the al
lcpa1 fharopf. L,,f
ated sufficient for our present purpose
Founded upon the testimony two reports have
emanated from the committee, which we have
before us. The majority, consisting of Messrs.
ORANGE WALKER and ALLEN SHULTIs, Re-
publicans, and JOHN B. OLIVIER AMI PETER
WILKINS. Democrats, content themselves with
merely excluding from the count the thirteen
illegal votes from Scott County, which were
polled at Burnsville. The adoption of their
recommendation would merely deposc Mr.
BARTON and seat Mr.. HAYES, leaving Messrs
NEWELL and WALDHIER unmolested. The mi
nority report, however, presented by Mr.. A.
ii. BUTLER, strikes home to the heart of the
fraud and iniquity, recommending the exclu-
sion of the whole Burnsville return from the
count, and thus not only giving Mr.. HAYES
his seat, but also Messrs BIxLER and CAsKEY
theirs
As the settlement of this question is made
the special order in the House for to-day, we
propose, with all due Difference to the majority
of the committee, to give few reasons why
We think that right, justice and proper re-
gard for law, order and the purity of the bal
lot-boX, demand the adoption of the minority
report.
In the first place, the evidence is clear and
direct, that Mr.. NEWELL and his friends went
to the polls on the day of election, predeter-
mined to carry out their ends by fraud
Nothing more is needed to prove this deter
mination on their part than their subsequent
acts of running over illegal voters from Scott
County; drenching the already excited Irish
crowd with whisky, and driving the only Re-
publican voter, Mr.. HAUK, from the polls ear
ly in the day. Secondly, there is no certainty
whatever that the ballots gathered from the
floor after the box was destroyed, were the
same that were placed therein during the
day; and thirdly, by the return itself, and
the manner in which it was made out, there
is no evidence whatever that an election, in
the eye of the law, was at all held at Burns
vile on the 18th of October last. All these
conclusions are fully borne out by the test-
mony taken by the committee.
1t is well known here in St. Paul, that af-
ter the leaders Of the Democracy discovered,
,,xa.-;o.,- tho olaotiox, fha4 a44