The Smoky Hill and Republican union. [volume] (Junction City, Kan.) 1861-1864, 1862-02-20
THE LAWRENCE FRAUD.


allude TO the fraud perpetrated at Lawrence
at the election in November last. At tht
time, it was supposed that this fraud wa:
committed simply for the purpose of secur
ing the location of the Capitol at that place
1t is now known, however, that there wa:
another object in view, no less infamous
namely, securing the election of Il. s.
Stevens, confederate in crime Of the State
officers, to the Senate. When the Lcgisla-
ture met, the House took up this fraud, and
promptly elected the member who claimed
a seat BY virtue of it. THIS could not be
so easily disposed of in the Senate. When
it came up in that body, it was referred to
committee made up Of three appointees Of
Gov. Robinson, who, without examining
the case, reported it Rack, declaring Stevens
entitled to his seat. Against the votes Of
the Robinson & Stevens party, the matter
vas referred to another committee, but oaly
with authority to examine such witnesses as
the contestant, Speer, would bring, at his
own expense, before it; and without au-
thority to send for persons and papers.
Notwithstanding this restriction, the COM
mittee were enabled to take testimony
establishing fully the character of the
returns from Lawrence It was shown By
the very best testimony, that Of Ills votes
polled in Lawrence, only 80 we're given
by citizens of the place, 50 by citizens of
othe. townships, minors and nesroes-tbe
balance being given by persons unknown in
the township, or being merely fcticious
names 1t was proven that men were
brought in from the Delaware Reservation
to vote at twenty five cents head, and that
a number Of hands employed by Stevens
on the Sac & Fox Reservation, were carried
there to vote, and that free ,ohtskey flowed,
at Stevens's expense, at the Eldridge and
johnson houses. 1t was also proven that
Of 230 polled at the Wakarusa precinct, IS
were fraudulent. at these two precincts
the vote Of Stevens was 500, that of his
competitor 317. The vote of Stevens in
balance of the District was S12, that of his
competitor was 1880. BY excluding both
these precincts in the count, Stevens was
beaten over 200. BY excluding Lawrence,
be was beaten over $50. Stevens's own
witness estimated tho vote of Lawrence at
500. This left fraudulent vote of 6lS to
be accounted for, fraudulent vote nearly
twice as great as his majority in the Dis
trict, which was returned at $50. Notwith-
standing this clear demonstration Of the
character of the vote by which he held his
seat, the Senate, under the manipulations of
Robinson, Stanton & Co., decided by vote
Of ten to eleven that he should retain his
seat And this, Notwithstanding it was
well known to every Senator when he voted,
that Stevens stood convicted by his own
sworn statement as we'll as by the sworn
statements Of his confederates, Of defraud
ing the State out of $4,000!
The minor plot of the Lawrence fraud
reveals itself Before the election it was
determined to plunder the Treasury. To
save the official plunderers from the ven
geance of the law, the Senate must be
secured-must be subsidized. Stevens
the Dick Turpin Of the horde-must be
elected to the Senate, Bancroft, Broadhead,
Gum and Phillips, must have military ap-
pointments, Root must be made Brigade
Surgeon, Hoffman and Denman must have
civil employment, Morrow is already a
sleeping partner in the Lawrence Bank,
credulous Osborn must be deluded with the
idea that district had better have thief
for representative than no representative,
timid Essick must have second University
veto held in terrorism over his head, and
weak knecd Curtis mus: be brought up with
a turn And SO the work is done. The
Senate is packed-the Treasury is plunder-
ed, and the spoilers laugh at the impotent
and unavailing wrath of despoiled and
dishonored people.
Let the curtain drop! Put out the
light! God bless the Jayhawkers!
The WAY IT WAS DoNE.-The soul